Of Sound Mind
by NeverTooLate123
Summary: Mental Hospital AU After an incident Kid is admitted to the mental hospital his grandfather had built years ago. During his stay Kid realizes that his father has a secret that resides there in the hospital. Kid is determined to solve the mystery with his friends' help.
1. Chapter 1:The Not So Perfect Boy

Important Author's Note: A few things really quick. I have done some very minor research on mental illnesses like OCD when writing this so if you find anything in here offensive or so grossly inaccurate that it ruins the story please let me know. Also, this fic is AU but I am taking plot elements from both the Anime and the Manga. If you have only seen the anime you should be okay but so far there will be at least one part of the plot that will a **spoiler** for the manga.

(These **trigger warnings** will be throughout the story so if any of these things will bother you or be triggers for you this might not be the best story to read. I'll put more warnings later if things need to be added to the list because I have not finished writing the story yet.) **Trigger Warnings:** mental illnesses like OCD, Depression, eating disorders etc. are being dealt with, mentions of self-harm, and child abuse.

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Chapter One: The Not So Perfect Boy

A discreet, black car pulled up in front of a pristine, modern building. The shrubbery out front was well cared for and the fountain that sat at the exact center of the walkway was clean of any debris. From outside no one would guess it was a mental hospital were it not for the large sign declaring it to be so.

Once the car was parked and the engine turned off the driver got out and went around to open the back passenger side door. An adolescent boy sat in the backseat staring down at his hands making no movement to leave his seat.

"Sir?" the driver said with concern in his voice.

"This isn't right." The boy said quietly. "I shouldn't be here."

"I'll get your bags. You come out when you're ready."

The boy stared up at the building as he swallowed a lump in his throat. He tapped eight times on each of his knees before reluctantly climbing out of the car. He continued staring up at the building as he crossed his arms over his chest. "How long?" he asked with a sigh although he already knew the answer.

The driver closed the trunk and turned to the boy, bags in hand. "Your father said that the agreement was at least two months."

They started up to the front of the building, the boy lagging behind. With each step the boy's heart beat harder and faster in his chest, his breathing got shallower. A sense of panic was building inside him. When they reached the doors the boy veered off to one of the benches that sat on either side of the doors. He sat down and put his head between his knees, his breathing ragged.

The driver looked around awkwardly, obviously unsure about what he was supposed to do. "Sir, would you like me to go inside and get someone?" he asked. "A nurse, maybe?"

The boy looked up slightly. Sweat was sticking his dark bangs to his forehead. "Call my father." He ordered.

The driver sighed and set down the bags. He did as the boy asked and called his boss.

"What's up?" came a lighthearted voice through the phone.

"Sir, your son wishes to speak with you." The driver handed his phone to the boy who was still trying to regulate his breathing.

"Dad, I can't do this."

There was only silence for a long time on both their ends. "I'm sorry. This was the agreement we settled on. If we go back on it now. I will have to pay more than they were originally asking for and you might be formally charged with something, Kid."

"I'm not crazy." Kid argued.

"I know that, but…" his father hesitated. "This might be good for you."

"Dad-"

"Let Mickey get you checked in. And I will visit you tomorrow."

With that the call was disconnected. Kid sat on the bench staring down at the phone in his hand. He knew that this wasn't his dad's fault, but he couldn't help but feel like his dad had been looking for some reason to send him to this place. He could see that his neurotic tendencies were wearing on his father. The most recent incident had been the last straw for everyone involved.

_Kid was doing his usual checks, making sure that all the art hanging on the walls was perfectly parallel with the floor. He lived in a mansion so this usually took a while. Measuring tape in hand, he made his way down the hall, but as he passed his room he stopped. He could hear someone inside. His hands were shaking as he opened the door._

_The maid was inside dusting the surface of his desk, moving things around and leaving them very asymmetrical. Kid could feel his blood boiling, angry tears threatened to spill from his eyes. How many times had he told her not to touch his room?_

"_What are you doing?" he asked in a shaky voice._

_The maid didn't bother to look up, continuing her job as she replied. "I'm dusting."_

"_I told you not to come in here."_

"_Look, I've worked with people before who tell me 'Oh, don't clean this room this week.' And then when I don't clean it they get all uppity so I just like to cover my bases." As she continued to shuffle things around on the desk Kid could feel his eye begin to twitch. Nothing was how it was supposed to be. She stacked all the books on one side, instead of two on each side of the desk. "Why do you have two lamps on your desk?"_

_Kid couldn't take it anymore. "GET OUT!" he screamed. "STOP RUINING IT, YOU DISGUSTING PIG!" _

_The maid dropped the pencil holder she had just picked up and turned around, staring at him with wide eyes. Pencils and pens rolled around on the hardwood floor. Everything had been perfect and she had destroyed it. Kid didn't realize what he was doing until he had already completed the motion of throwing the tape measurer at her. She tried to run past him, sobbing. Kid continued throwing whatever was in reach as she rushed out of the room. _

_Once she was gone Kid looked around to see his room in shambles. Later, after his father heard about the incident he found Kid crying and nearly pulling his hair out as he tried to return the symmetry to his room._

The maid ended up filing a lawsuit and also threatening to press charges and go to the press. The settlement was a fairly large payment and Kid spending at least two months in a psychiatric facility. After the settlement was reached his father immediately made arrangements for Kid at the mental hospital his grandfather opened. The irony was not lost on him.

"Do you think I'm crazy?"

"… of course not, Sir."

Kid looked up at his driver as he let out a humorless laugh. "You hesitated, Mickey."

"Sir, I didn't mean-"

Kid held up a hand to stop him. "It's okay." He put his hands on his knees and subtly tapped eight times on each before getting to his feet.

The checking in process went fast than expected since his father had already taken care of the paperwork. Soon enough Kid found himself on the other side with only a fraction of the items he came in with. Apparently most of the stuff he had packed was prohibited and therefore confiscated.

He was handed a couple sets of the patient uniforms, a plain white t-shirt and matching loose-fitting pants, and was then led by a nurse to his room. They walked through the first set of doors into the outer common area for the patients. Kid glanced around to see a few of patients playing a board game, a group was gathered around the television, and then there was another group sitting around chatting. He quickly looked down at the clothing in his hand to distract himself from the asymmetrical arrangement of the furniture.

"It looks like everyone's having fun, huh?" the nurse asked with a smile.

Kid couldn't help but look back up. He let out a groan of frustration. "It's all wrong."

The nurse looked at Kid in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"The furniture, it's all over the place. The arrangement is completely chaotic!"

"Well, I'll see who I can talk to about that."

Kid bristled at the patronizing tone but continued to follow her down a hall to the rows of patients' rooms. One of the doors was open for him to see a girl laying on her bed reading a magazine as they passed by. So far most of the people there seemed to be pretty normal. He felt a miniscule amount of the tension leave him at that thought.

The nurse stopped in front of a door and gesture to the small row of numbers in the exact center of it. "This is your room. Number one-oh-seven."

"This can't be right." Kid told her as he started to panic. "I can't have a room number ending in seven. This can't be happening." He dropped the bag of the few belongings he was allowed to keep beside him and clutched the stack of clothing in his other arm to his chest as he slid down the hallway wall. It felt like everything was closing in around him. "It can't be seven!" he cried out.

"It's okay." The nurse told him calmly. "We're gonna fix this."

Just then a girl with light brown pig tails poked her head out of the room across the hall. She looked down at Kid then to the door he sitting beside, then turned to the nurse who was trying to calm him. "If he needs a different room, I'm willing to trade." She said as she stepped fully out of her room.

Kid looked up at the room the girl had just stepped out from. The door read 108. He scrambled to his feet and threw his arms around her. "Thank you, thank you. Eight is so much better than seven. It's a perfectly symmetrical number."

"Yeah, eight is pretty awesome." The girl half-heartedly agreed as she tried to gently pull away from Kid.

"Sorry." Kid apologized awkwardly as he let go of the girl.

"That's very kind of you, Maka." The nurse commented. "Let's get started on moving your stuff then." She turned to Kid who was refolding the stack of clothes that were now wrinkled. "They said you want to be called Kid, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Well, Kid, if you want to leave your stuff there, I'll keep an eye on it, and you can go hang out in the common area. I'll let you know when we finished moving Maka's things."

Kid was very unsure but reluctantly nodded and set the refolded stack of clothing on top of his bag. He carefully ventured back out into the common area. Well, he stood at the edge of the room as he observed everyone's activities. They were all doing much of the same as he saw only minutes earlier. The furniture was still very much a mess. His hands were itching to bring symmetry to the room.

Kid walked over and grabbed hold of the empty card table and pulled it across the room. A few of the patients looked up curiously but he ignored them. He arranged the chairs around it then moved over to the reading area.

Kid cleared his throat to gain the attention of the two teens who were reading quietly on the sofa. They both looked up. "I need you to stand for a moment." He told them seriously.

The girl got up quickly and then stood back. The boy sighed in exasperation and threw his book down before stomping down the hallway that led to the patients' rooms. Kid wasn't fazed by the boy's reaction and continued on his mission. It didn't take long before he had the entire room's attention.

Some were laughing, others were looking on in confusion, and then there were the few that glared at Kid like he had done them some personal offense. Yet Kid ignored all of them in favor of bringing symmetry to the common area. In fact he was so focused on his task he didn't notice one of the other patients leave and then return with the nurse who had been helping him earlier.

"See, Nurse Thalia, he's moving everything around. Dude's crazier than I am."

Nurse Thalia shook her head. "Hey, we don't use that word here." She quickly turned her attention to Kid, carefully approaching him. "Kid, Maka is almost done moving her stuff. You should probably go start putting your thing away."

"Okay, I'll do that as soon as I finish here." Kid replied as he started arranging the seats in front of the television.

"A lot of the patients liked everything how it was."

Kid shook his head. "Nonsense! How can anyone think in such an asymmetrical environment?"

Nurse Thalia sighed. "If you don't get started on your room you may not have time to fix it how you want it before dinner."

Kid paused for a moment. If he didn't set up his own personal space in the symmetrical pattern that he required it would bug him all throughout dinner. No, as much as it pained him the common area would have to wait. "Just give me a minute." Kid finished arranging the chairs in front of the TV before making his way to his room. He cringed when he heard everyone's relieved sighs as he walked away.

Kid sat on the stripped bed as he watched Maka remove the last of her things. "Everyone here seems pretty normal." Kid commented. "Well, more normal than I am anyways."

Maka gave him a strained smile. "We all have our issues, even if they aren't on the surface for everyone to see."

"Why are you here?"

Maka frowned and stayed silent as she gathered the last of her things. As she made her way to the door Kid thought she wasn't going to answer. Then she suddenly turned back to him a forced smile on her face. "You're gonna learn enough about me in group therapy without me giving you a sneak peek." Then she was gone.

As Kid started putting away the few personal items he had there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Nurse Thalia entered the room, fresh sheets in hand. She started to put them on the bed as she asked. "How are you doing so far?"

"Best day of my life." Kid replied sarcastically.

Nurse Thalia finished putting on the sheets without another word. She only said, "Dinner is at five. You can ask Maka to show you where the dining room is." Before leaving.

Kid organized and then reorganized his room several times before five o'clock. Yet it still didn't seem right. Maka came to his room two minutes after five so that she could show him to the dining room. "We need to get going. We get cake tonight for dessert and if we don't hurry Blackstar will eat it all and then all we'll get is tapioca pudding."

Kid let his hands hang by his sides and subtly tapped eight times as he looked around his room. Something was off. "The pillows!" he exclaimed, startling Maka. He went over and moved the pillows over a couple inches so that they were in the exact center of his bed. His eyes lit up as he looked around his room. "Now it's perfect."

"Then let's go."

Maka led the way to the dining room. They went through the line to retrieve their food and Kid was relieved to find that the meals were of a high quality. He followed Maka over to a table that had two other teens already sitting there.

"Hey, guys." She greeted them as she sat down. "This is Kid. Kid, this is Soul and Crona."

Soul looked unimpressed as he nodded in greeting. Crona continued to stare down at his untouched dinner seeming to be unaware of anyone around him. Kid sat down next to Maka and started rearranging his food so that it sat symmetrically on his tray.

"Where's Blackstar?" Maka asked Soul.

Soul chuckled. "He's busy regaling Tsubaki with tales of his strength and bravery."

Maka sighed. "Poor Tsubaki. I keep telling her to stop letting Blackstar keep her after the end of her shift."

"Is Tsubaki a nurse?" Kid asked as he started counting out his green beans into separate equal piles.

"No, she's a volunteer. She's the only one who can handle Blackstar." Maka suddenly turned her attention to Crona. "Crona, you need to eat something. Do you want the doctor's to start monitoring your eating habits again?"

Crona slowly looked up and shook his head. Kid was surprised to see how empty the younger boy's eyes were. He reminded Kid of a scared rabbit, who had a pack of wolves on its tail. Crona carefully picked up his fork and speared one green bean on its tines. He stared at it for abnormal length of time before actually putting it in his mouth and slowly chewing.

Kid went back to sorting his food, half-listening to Maka and Soul's conversation. About ten minutes later he had his food sorted, counted, and perfectly symmetrical on his plate. He was ready to start eating when he looked up and saw a young woman with long, dark hair pulled back into a pony tail and a boy with shocking blue hair approaching the table.

Kid was surprised to see that the girl was not dressed in one of the patient's uniforms, or nurse scrubs, instead she was wearing jeans and a flattering green top.

"The mighty Blackstar has arrived!" The boy announced as he leapt onto the table. Unfortunately, "the mighty Blackstar's" foot landed right in Kid's dinner.

The young woman suddenly looked very panicked. "Blackstar! You can't jump on the tables!"

Blackstar started laughing but moments later leapt back down off the table. Kid glared at his dinner that now had a giant footprint in it. All his hard work for nothing.

"Are you the new patient?" Kid looked up to find that the young woman was now standing beside his chair.

He nodded. "Yes, I am."

"I was told to give this to you."

Kid took the piece of paper she was holding out to him. It was a schedule for the week. "Thank you."

"I'm Tsubaki. I volunteer here most days after school. Let me know if you ever need anything." She smiled at him and Kid couldn't help but give her a small smile in return. He liked that she seemed so genuine.

"So you're the new guy everyone's been talking about!" Blackstar shouted obnoxiously, wiping the smiles off both of their faces. "Everyone's supposed to be talking about me! You think you can suddenly waltz in here and take my place as the biggest guy around here? You're not so big! In fact, you're kinda puny!"

Kid got to his feet, mostly to demonstrate that he was indeed taller than Blackstar. He picked up his food and went to walk past the boy but Blackstar moved to stand in front of him.

"Blackstar, just let him go. It's his first day here." Tsubaki pleaded.

Blackstar ignored her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"You stepped in my food. I need to throw it away."

Kid could hear off to the side Crona whispering to Maka. "Are they going to fight? I don't think I'll know how to handle it if they do."

Blackstar's next movements were so quick that Kid didn't even realizes what was happening until five seconds after it was over. The other boy had taken Kid's dinner and dumped it all over him. Kid cringed as he felt the mashed potatoes slide down the back of his shirt.

Blackstar laughed uproariously as orderlies came running over to defuse the situation. Kid was led back to his room to get cleaned up while Blackstar was ushered away to get his food. Tsubaki kept trying to apologize as Kid left the dining room.

Kid stood in front of the mirror after his shower. He carefully combed his hair, trying to get it lay just right. He froze in his effort when he noticed something. The dye in his hair was fading, the white stripes were barely visible, but he knew soon enough they would shining through like a neon sign saying "This boy is asymmetrical!" He cursed the fact that his hair simply refused to hold hair dye. It was probably due to the same genetic mutation that gave him the three white stripes on only half of his hair in the first place.

He had been told that the patients were not allowed to dye their hair but that boy, Blackstar had blue hair… It was probably left over from before he was admitted. Kid sighed heavily as he finished combing his hair. "Two months." He muttered. Two months until this was all over and he could start regularly dying his hair again. For now he would just have to deal with those damned white stripes coming through again.


	2. Chapter 2:Adjusting

Chapter Two: Adjusting

When Kid went to breakfast the next morning he saw that Maka and Crona were not sitting at the table, leaving only Blackstar and Soul. Kid opted for sitting alone while he ate.

He took the time to sort and count his food, then as he ate he examined the schedule he had been given. Private therapy sessions and group therapy sessions alternated every other day. Today was private therapy for him in the early afternoon. Kid felt his stomach drop when he saw that visitation hours were after lunch. He wasn't sure what would be more painful if his father did or didn't show up.

After breakfast Kid spent some of his free time alone in his room, then decided to wander around. He found the activity room and saw some of the patients having their group activity. It looked like today was painting.

Kid went outside and saw that there was a pleasant garden area, with a well-cared for flower bed and several benches. There was also a basketball court on the other side of the yard. Soul and Blackstar were playing a one on one game while Maka and Crona sat on the sidelines talking in hushed voices. Crona seemed rather upset. As Kid approached them he was able to hear part of their conversation.

"She's coming tomorrow." Crona said in a shaky voice.

"You can always refuse to see her." Maka said almost pleadingly.

Crona shook his head. "I can't. She'll be angry if I do. It will just make things worse. I wish I could run away, but she'll find me. No matter what she will always find me."

"Hey, Kid." Maka greeted when she realized his presence.

"Is everything okay?" Kid asked. Crona had sounded so hopeless and afraid.

"Yeah." Maka and Crona replied in unison.

"You cheated, you freakin' bastard!" Everyone looked up to see Soul fuming as he screamed obscenities at Blackstar.

The blue-haired boy was nearly doubled over laughing. "Like I need to cheat to beat you! I could beat you blindfolded." Blackstar turned to the observers that were now gathering to watch Soul's tantrum. "Who's next? You! Kid, I challenge you!"

Kid shook his head. "Sports aren't really my thing." Soul was now kicking the basketball so hard against the brick wall surrounding the perimeter of the yard that the ball was going flat. Kid turned to Maka. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Soul just has anger issues. Once he gets it all out he'll be fine."

"Are you afraid to take on the great Blackstar?" Blackstar asked Kid drawing the other boy's attention back to him.

"You destroyed my dinner and then dumped it on my head last night. To be honest I don't want anything to do with you."

"Come on! That was funny!"

Kid rolled his eyes.

Blackstar grabbed another basketball from seemingly out of nowhere and threw it to Kid. Kid somehow managed to catch it just before it hit him the face. "Fine." Kid gave in. Maybe if he played one game Blackstar would leave him alone.

Even though Blackstar had given him the advantage of starting with the ball the younger boy stole it back rather quickly. All in all Kid managed to make one basket against Blackstar's fifteen. "I am triumphant!" Blackstar shouted. He didn't seem to notice that no one was there to hear him since the crowd had dispersed once an orderly led Soul off to calm down from his tantrum. He spiked the basketball hard in celebration. It bounced off of the ground and hit the wall, rebounding toward the garden area. "Loser gets the ball."

Kid shook his head. He was going to protest but changed his mind when he realized that it would be no use. "You're an idiot." He stated before strolling over to where the ball had rolled to a stop in front of one of the benches.

A girl with long blonde hair that went past her shoulders was sitting on the bench one foot resting on top of the ball. She was either so engrossed in her book that she didn't notice Kid's presence or she was ignoring him. Kid cleared his throat loudly. Her eyes flicked up to glance at him then back down to her book.

"I just need you to move your foot so I can get the ball." Kid informed the girl as calmly as possible. As he had seen earlier with Soul some these patients could be volatile and he would rather not accidentally set someone off.

"I just got to the part where the guy is proposing to the girl so if you want your damn ball so badly why don't you move my foot yourself."

Kid reached down to do just as she suggested but froze when he saw how filthy the girl's shoe was. He straightened again and glanced back at the basketball court. Blackstar was long gone. Kid swallowed hard as he turned his back on the girl. "Keep it."

Kid started to walk away when he heard the girl call out to him. "Hey!" He turned back around and for the second time that day barely managed to catch the ball before it hit him in the face. "You looked so pathetic. Figured you could use a win. What's your name?"

"Kid."

"What kind of name is that?"

Kid adjusted the ball so that his fingertips were barely touching it. Who knows what that girl had stepped in. "It's a nickname."

"It's kind of stupid. I'm Liz." She looked him up and down, making Kid feel slightly uncomfortable. "Hey, you're the new guy who was wearing his food last night at dinner."

Kid could feel his face heat up from embarrassment. "It wasn't- I didn't-"

Liz laughed at Kid's flustered reaction. "You're cute." She said as she ruffled his hair. As Kid tried to smooth his hair back into place she walked away book in hand.

It was eleven o'clock. Eleven was a decent number. Two ones that stood parallel to each other, completely identical. It would never be as good as eight, it wasn't even close, but he could find it in himself to give eleven an honorary mention.

Kid stood in front of his doctor's office door pondering the number eleven in an attempt to delay the inevitable. He had been to a psychiatrist before when he was younger. It had been disastrous. The doctor had talked about treatment options with his dad, behavioral therapy, medications. Kid had rejected all of it and refused to go back.

The door suddenly opened and Kid jumped back. A tall man with dark skin and dreadlocks stood in front of him. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

Kid stood a little straighter. "You didn't startle me."

"Okay then. You must be…" He looked down at the schedule in his hand.

"Kid. I just go by Kid."

"Well, Kid, come on in." He gestured for Kid to step over the threshold. As Kid did so he continued. "I am Dr. Barrett but everyone calls me Sid."

Sid sat down and picked up a notepad and pen off of the small end table beside him. Kid hovered feeling uncomfortable and anxious. He started subtly tapping the sides of his thighs, eight times on each side.

"Go ahead and have a seat." Sid told him. "We're going to be here for an hour."

Kid glanced at the comfortable looking armchair and moved to sit down. Maybe he could sit there for an hour endure this man's probing questions and then get out. He stopped when he noticed something off about the bookshelf against one wall. Most of the shelves were filled with books kept in alphabetical order, but there was one shelf full of various knick knacks. It was a complete mess. How could anyone not be distracted by such an eyesore? Instead of sitting Kid started rearranging the items on the shelf so that they would be symmetrical.

"What're you doing?" Sid asked calmly.

Kid moved the photo of Sid and a woman in mountain climbing gear to the middle of the shelf. "I'm fixing your shelf. Everything here is completely asymmetrical. No one could possibly focus with it being in such chaos."

"Then let's talk about my shelf. Why is it important to you that it be symmetrical?"

Kid paused his efforts as he thought for a moment. It seemed like it would be an easy question to answer but he found that he was having a difficult time of putting his feelings about symmetry into words. "How could symmetry not be important?" he shot back, frustrated at being put on the spot.

"How do you feel when things aren't symmetrical and you can't fix them?"

Kid went back to moving things on the shelf trying to ignore Sid's question. His hands were shaking at the thought of not being able to fix something that was asymmetrical… like himself, the disgusting white stripes in his hair. When he had finished the quick shower he took after playing basketball with Blackstar he could see that they were getting clearer. He reached for a cheap, ceramic elephant but his trembling hands fumbled with the figurine, knocking it off of the shelf. It broke into several shards as it hit the floor. "Dammit!"

Kid dropped to his knees and started gathering the uneven pieces. "Why did he think he could singlehandedly bring symmetry to the world around him? It was hopeless, no he was hopeless. It was him. How could someone like him, someone so asymmetrical create symmetry? All he did was destroy everything he touched.

Suddenly Sid was kneeling beside him gently trying to pry the shards out of his hands. Kid hadn't realized how tightly he was gripping them. Tiny rivulets of blood were leaking out of his grip.

"I'm sorry." Kid said in a surprisingly calm voice. He opened his fists and let Sid take the broken pieces of ceramic from him. "I didn't mean to break it."

Sid dumped the broken pieces that used be an elephant into the trash can and then helped Kid to his feet. "It's okay. I wasn't particularly fond of it anyways." Sid carefully took Kid's hands so he could examine the cuts. "We need to get you to the infirmary."

Kid sat on the exam table in the infirmary staring down at his hands that were now wrapped in gauze. Luckily, the cuts had not been deep enough to require stitches. He carefully flexed his fingers and winced at the pain it caused. At least he had both hands bandaged.

Sid came out of the small office he had been talking privately in with Dr. Nygus. "How're feeling?"

"Fine. I would like to apologize again for breaking your elephant figurine."

Sid shrugged noncommittedly. "My mom got it for me at the airport on one of her trips abroad. She only spent a few bucks on it. Wasn't that special."

"Oh."

There was a short silence before Sid spoke again. "Does this happen a lot when you're stressed?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you hurt yourself when-"

"This was an accident." Kid said firmly. "And I don't appreciate what you're implying."

Sid sighed. "Kid, I didn't mean to-"

Kid pushed himself off of the table ignoring the pain that shot through his hands as he did so. "I need to go lie down."

Once back in his room Kid felt like something was off and went through checking the few belongings he had in his room. It was perfectly in order as far as he could tell but he still had that feeling. He checked his bathroom then his bedroom again. Over and over again he went through his checks unable to dispel that feeling of something not being right.

He didn't know how long he had been at it when he looked up and saw his dad watching him from the doorway. "Something isn't right." Kid said aloud. "I don't know what it is but it isn't right."

His dad approached him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Then let's go through your checks together."

Slowly, they went through each item on Kid's mental list and made sure everything was in place: the toilet paper was folded into a perfect triangle, his pillow was directly in the middle of his bed, his books were arranged symmetrically, etc. It had been like a bubble of anxiety was growing inside of Kid's chest but having his father go through all of his checks with him, announcing out loud that each thing was indeed in place, the bubble had gotten smaller and smaller until it had finally disappeared.

When they had finished his dad suggested they go out to the garden to talk. They sat down on a bench sitting in silence for a few moments. "What happened to your hands?" his dad asked trying to sound nonchalant.

Kid regretted that his father had broken the silence. "It was an accident. I dropped something and cut my hands trying to clean it up."

His dad nodded, but didn't look like he really believed him.

"I'm not hurting myself."

"I never said you were."

Kid loved his dad but right now he wanted nothing more than for him to leave. Had he turned off the light in his room? Was the pillow really in the exact center of his bed? "I can't remember if I turned off the light." Kid said softly as he went to get up.

His father grabbed his arm gently but firmly and pulled him back down onto the bench. "I turned it off when we left."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. There's something I wanted to ask you about."

"What?"

"I was thinking that maybe after the two months are over and you get out we could go on a family trip."

"To where?"

"Anywhere you want."

His dad felt guilty. He was trying to make it up to him. Kid wasn't sure if he should feel touched or disgusted. He wasn't some child who could be made to forget an unpleasant experience with a trip to Disneyland. "I'll think about it." Kid replied softly.

There was an awkward silence where father and son looked everywhere but at each other. Kid saw Crona. Maka, and Soul a little ways off. Soul was arguing with another patient while Crona was picking flowers and handing them to Maka who had a sad smile on her face.

"So… have you made any friends?"

Kid turned back to his father. He shrugged. "I guess. I've met some people who aren't too bad."

"I'm glad you're adjusting, Kid."

"Dad, do you think-" Kid cut himself off. He was going to ask "Do you think I belong here? Do you think I'm crazy?" But he realized that he didn't want to know the answer.

"Do I think what?"

Kid shook his head with a humorless laugh. "Nothing."

Visitation could not end soon enough in Kid's opinion. It seemed the longer his dad stayed the more awkward things got between them. There was some tension just beneath the surface that Kid couldn't put his finger on.

"I'll visit you again as soon as I can." His father promised as he got ready to leave.

"I'll see you then." Kid said with a forced smile. He rarely saw his dad when he was home, he didn't expect to see his dad again for quite a while.

He walked his dad to the exit that would lead out to the lobby. His dad pulled him into a tight hug. Kid was surprised. It's not that his dad never showed him affection, it just was never as overt as this. "I love you, son." His father said as he planted a kiss on the top of his head.

"I love you too." Kid replied as he belatedly returned the hug.

After his dad left Kid made his way to the dining room. He had missed lunch and dinner would be starting any minute. He got there just after they started serving the food. Kid got his food and sat down at the table he had sat at the night before. He enjoyed the solitude that he knew would quickly disappear as he started to count and sort his dinner.

Maka, Soul, and Crona joined him just as he was ready to start eating. Soul and Maka each had a tray of food while Crona only had a box of apple juice. "Are you sure you're not going to eat?" Maka asked Crona after they all greeted each other.

"Ragnarok says I'm not allowed to." He said sadly.

Maka picked the chocolate chip cookie up off of her tray and placed it in Crona's hand. "I won't tell him if you don't."

Kid frowned in confusion. "Who's Ragnarok?"

Crona seemed to close in on himself as he nibbled at the cookie. Maka answered for him. "You know how I told you yesterday that everyone has their issues?" Kid nodded. "Ragnarok is his." Kid still didn't understand but it didn't seem like Ragnarok was a topic anyone was willing to discuss at the moment.

"Why do you do that to your food?" Soul asked as he gestured to Kid's tray.

Kid looked down at his properly organized plate of food then back up at Soul. "I can't eat it unless it's been counted, sorted, and placed symmetrically on the plate."

Soul chuckled as he shook his head. "And people say I'm crazy 'cause I blow up at everything. At least I don't have to make my food symmetrical before I can eat it."

"Symmetry is everything." Kid said indignantly. "Just because you can't appreciate it doesn't mean it isn't important."

"Whatever."

Kid was about to lecture Soul about the beauty of symmetry when Blackstar and Tsubaki approached the table distracting him. Blackstar's tray was piled high with food while Tsubaki only carried a pudding cup and plastic spoon. "How fast do you think I can eat all of this?" Blackstar asked with a huge grin on his face.

Tsubaki sat down next to Crona and gently put a hand on his arm causing him to jump. "Crona, aren't you going to eat anything?"

"I have a cookie." He mumbled quietly.

"I'll have to tell the nurses if you aren't eating properly." It wasn't a threat, there was genuine concern in Tsubaki's voice.

"Please don't. Ragnarok said I can't eat today. I promise I'll eat more tomorrow."

Tsubaki sighed looking torn. "Okay. But if you aren't eating tomorrow I have to alert the medical staff."

"Thank you."

* * *

A/N: Please review and let me know how I can improve. Thanks.


	3. Chapter 3: The Rabbit and the Snake

A/N: I apologize for how long it took me to post this. I got overwhelmed with work, registering for summer classes, and some health issues I've been having lately. But I'm back! Here's chapter 3. I promise that chapter 4 will be up very, very, very soon. ;) I love you all for hanging on. You are all incredibly awesome!

Chapter 3: The Rabbit and the Snake

Kid hated the idea of group therapy. If he didn't even want to share his inner most feelings with one person why would he want to share with a whole group. Not to mention that it was a group of teenagers as messed up as him or even more so.

When Kid entered the room he found that it wasn't Sid leading the group therapy like he had expected. He had seen some of the other doctors who worked there but this man wasn't one of them. Kid was slightly disappointed, for whatever brief time he had spent with Sid he got the impression that the doctor at least cared about his patients.

Once everyone was sitting in the circle of chairs facing each other the new doctor briefly explained that Sid would no longer be working there and that he was merely filling in until they found someone more permanent. Kid looked around and saw that some of the patients looked absolutely distraught, while the others just looked a little sad and confused. Most of the group therapy was spent discussing Sid's leaving.

Kid sat back and listened, choosing not to participate. Blackstar's contribution had been the most entertaining. "I would like to apologize, everyone." The blue-haired boy had said from where he stood on his chair. "I think my awesomeness may have intimidated Sid. That's why he left."

"Idiot." Kid muttered under his breath as Sid's temporary replacement attempted to get Blackstar to sit down.

There was a small break in between group therapy and their group activity. And by the time they were having their group activity patients' theories about why Sid left were flying about the hospital.

It was their group's turn to paint and as Kid was painting a picture of his home he listened to the other patients whisper about what had happened to Sid and who their new permanent doctor was going to be.

"I heard that Sid was killed by government assassins." Soul was telling Maka in mock seriousness. "He was working on this mind control drug for the military and the government decided that he knew too much so they offed him."

Maka rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid Soul."

"I'm just telling you what I heard." Soul replied with a grin.

Crona was shivering. "Is that true? Are the assassins going to come here?! I don't think I could handle that!" He looked away as if listening to an invisible person talk and then flinched away from an unseen threat.

"There are no assassins." Maka said trying to reassure Crona then threw a glare Soul's way.

Kid dipped his brush in the green paint to paint the hedges that were planted out front of his mansion. "I wonder what did happen to Sid."

"Yeah." Maka said sadly. "I thought he was nice."

Tsubaki was walking around praising everyone's work but Blackstar kept calling her over to pose for his painting. It was of them standing side by side in superhero costumes. "One day I'm going to surpass god and Tsubaki you're going to be my sidekick." He announced. "So don't worry, Crona, any assassins that tried to get by me would get their asses kicked."

Tsubaki shook her head. "There are no assassins, Blackstar. Everyone is safe here."

"Of course they're safe, they have me around!"

"I'd feel much safer if you weren't around." Another patient with strange hair that stuck up in two pillars said under his breath. The couple of patients sitting next to him muttered their agreement.

After the group activity Kid went down the infirmary to have the wounds in his hands cleaned again. Dr. Nygus wanted to make sure she had gotten all of the broken pieces of porcelain out of his hands.

He sat on the examination table as she picked out the few tiny pieces of debris that had gotten left behind. Kid noticed that her eyes were a little puffy like she had been crying. He swallowed hard and tried to look anywhere else.

"That's the last of it." She said a minute later. Nygus grabbed the disinfectant and started cleaning the cuts again.

Kid made the mistake of looking at her eyes again. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah." She replied, but she pressed down a little harder than nessescary on his hand causing him to cringe and hiss out air through his teeth. "Sorry."

Sid and Dr. Nygus had seemed close. He wondered if this was about him leaving. "Do you know why Sid isn't working here anymore?"

Nygus turned away to get fresh bandages but he could hear her sniff. She stayed turned away for a moment after she already had the supplies in hand. Kid suspected it was so she could pull herself together. She turned back and started wrapping his hands. "All I can tell you is that he was in an accident but he is going to make a full recovery."

Kid nodded, choosing not to pry further.

As he walked through the common area he saw Maka sitting across from a man with red hair. They were playing board game. The man was enthusiastic while Maka seemed bored. She kept nervously glancing over at the hallway that led to the patients' rooms. When she spotted Kid she smiled and jumped up.

"I need to talk to my friend for a second." She told the redheaded man.

"Who is your visitor?" Kid asked curiously when Maka came to stand in front of him.

"That's just my dad." She said impatiently. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

Kid nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

"Crona, has a visitor and I was going to check on him but my dad is here. He won't let me out of his sight so I need you to go make sure Crona is okay. Just knock on his door and say that you needed to borrow something, or whatever excuse works. And then come tell me if he's okay."

Kid frowned in confusion. The whole thing seemed really weird. "Who's visiting him? Why does he need checking up on?"

"I'll explain later. Please."

"What's his room number?"

* * *

Kid found himself walking through the hallway his and Maka's rooms were located in and then down another hallway he hadn't been down. He stopped in front of Crona's room and raised his fist to knock. He paused as he thought about what he would even say. It' not like he was friends with Crona. He couldn't even think of a time in the past three days he had spoken directly to the other boy.

"You want to continue to be useful, don't you?" Kid jumped when he heard the harsh voice of a woman through the door.

He heard Crona's voice next, panicked and small. "I don't think I can handle that! How would I even-"

"Now, listen here!"

Kid knocked loudly on the door interrupting them. "C-Come in." Crona said barely loud enough for Kid to hear.

Kid opened the door and saw Crona sitting on his bed clutching a pillow to his chest. His eyes were wide with fear. A woman stood at the foot of the bed looking perfectly calm. "Did you need something?" she asked in a sweet voice, completely opposite from how she had sounded only moments ago.

Kid swallowed hard thinking of what to say. "I heard raised voices." He stated. He mentally shrugged, honesty was a good way to go. "Are you alright, Crona?" he asked pointedly.

Crona looked nervously between Kid and the woman. "Yes, I'm fine."

The woman had her gaze fixed on Kid, her expression going from sweet to… the only way he could think to describe it was venomous.

Kid wanted to stay for Crona's sake, this woman gave him a bad feeling, but Crona was mouthing at him the words "Please, go."

"Yeah, that was it. Just checking on my friend."

As soon as the door closed behind him Kid leaned against it to listen in. They were talking in hushed voices. He couldn't make out any words but the woman's whispering sounded harsh and angry. Now he understood why Maka was so concerned. Crona seemed to fear that woman.

* * *

Kid waited to speak to Maka but her father seemed desperate to spend as much time as possible with his daughter. He stayed through lunch and only left once Maka warned that if he stayed any longer she would grow tired of him.

"How was he?" Maka asked once they were alone in her room.

Kid eyed the collection of postcards displayed on her dresser. The way they were organized was completely chaotic, there was no sense of symmetry… _focus_ he told himself. "He was terrified of that woman visiting him. The way she talked to him, it was… Who was she anyways?"

"That's his mother." Maka replied with disgust. "She treats him like shit, but he won't tell anybody. Not even me, but I'm not stupid. I can read between the lines."

He could see it. He could see how to organize the postcards so that they were symmetrical. He moved so that the dresser was behind him. Out of sight, out of mind he hoped.

Maka continued. "That's why I switched rooms with you. Now my window faces the entrance. I was hoping that if I could see her coming maybe I could warn Crona and he could, I don't know, pretend to be sick, say that he's not up for visitors. It was stupid…"

"Wanting to protect your friend isn't stupid."

"My dad put me in here because I was depressed. I tried to kill myself a couple of times. The antidepressants help a little I guess. But trying to help Crona, protecting him has been the main thing keeping me going. I know that's not healthy. I should want to live for me but right now 'living for me' isn't enough."

Kid didn't know what to say. He nervously tapped his legs eight times each. There was a sinking feeling in his stomach as he thought about those postcards behind him.

"Now you're uncomfortable." Maka stated with a humorless laugh.

"No! Well, yes, but its okay. I can stand to be a little uncomfortable if you need to share things like that."

"Anyways, thanks for checking on him. His mom should be leaving soon if she hasn't already." Maka walked to the window and gazed out onto the entrance of the hospital.

Kid swallowed hard and glanced behind him at the postcards. The disorganization was driving him up the wall. He looked back at Maka, seeing that she was still at the window he turned back to the postcards and started fixing them. The two that had pictures of sunsets he put on the ends, then next were the ones that had landscapes of green foliage.

"What are you doing?" Maka's voice was unreadable.

Kid slowly turned around. "I was just fixing them."

She silently walked over and put them back the way they had been. "If you ever touch these again I will break off every one of your fingers." She turned to him and glared harshly into his eyes. "Got it?"

Kid cleared his throat to speak but found that he couldn't. Damn, she was scary. He nodded instead.

Maka's face softened again and she straightened her shirt. "Come on. She left so we need to make sure that Crona isn't a complete mess."

Crona was huddled, shivering, in a corner like a frightened animal. Maka carefully approached him. She knelt in front of him and slowly reached out her hand until she gently rested it on top of his head. Crona whimpered quietly and Maka made a comforting shushing noise in response.

Kid stood in the doorway watching. He smiled a little when he saw Crona look up. The pink haired boy reached up and lightly gripped Maka's wrist.

Crona whispered and Kid had to struggle to hear the other boy's words. "Do you know where hell is?" Maka looked equally surprised and at a loss. But before she could reply Crona continued. "It's inside my head."

Crona stayed silent after that. At dinner time Maka tried to convince him to come with them but he ignored her. Maka told Kid to go ahead, that she would stay with the other boy.

"Are you sure?" Kid asked.

She nodded.

He went to the dining room and got his dinner. When he went to sit down he saw Soul and Blackstar sitting at their usual table. Kid wasn't thrilled about sitting with them. He looked around for an empty table but upon being unable to find one he made his over to where Liz was sitting by herself.

"Hello." He greeted when he approached the table.

She looked up from her magazine she had been flipping through. "Hey."

"Would it be okay if I sat with you?" he asked carefully.

"Sure." She replied going back to her magazine.

Kid sat down and as he started his usual ritual his mind wandered to back to what Crona had said about hell being inside his head. He couldn't help but think that that had to be true for everyone there. They were there because they each had a hell that had gotten the best of them. Kid's hell happened to be chaos and disorganization. He looked up at Liz who was studying her magazine. He wondered what her hell was.


	4. Chapter 4: Escaping Shadows

Chapter 4: Escaping Shadows

Kid had been at the hospital for a little over two weeks now. In the absence of his father's visits he had come to observe the other patients' visitors. Maka's dad came to visit as often as four or five times a week, he was the most frequent visitor, although sometimes Maka would make him leave even if he had only been there for five minutes. Kid saw Liz's only visitor twice, an older woman who kept her steely gray hair tied back in a tight bun which gave her the appearance of being stern but it was cancelled out by her kind face. From his observance so far it seemed that she tried to visit Liz once a week.

Soul's visitor Kid only saw once so far, a young man probably in his twenties. Kid guessed maybe an older brother or young uncle. Soul seemed distant toward his visitor but he never asked him to leave.

From what Kid could tell Blackstar didn't get visitors. The boy never seemed sad about it but he always perked up noticeably when Tsubaki came to help out. He followed her and chattered on and on while attempting different daredevil stunts. Tsubaki was the only person who humored the boy.

But Crona's visitor concerned him the most. The pink haired boy's mother, who Kid found out was named Medusa, visited sporadically and almost as often as Maka's father. The whole thing was a draining affair. Crona would go into his own little dissociative world and it would take him a couple of days to come out of it and be okay again. But it seemed that as soon as he would recover his mother would come to traumatize him again.

Maka pulled Kid aside after his one on one, halfhearted session with the temporary replacement doctor. "We have to get Crona out of here." She told him in a low whisper.

Kid glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "What are you talking about, Maka?" he asked seriously.

"I just found out that I'm going to be getting discharged soon."

"How soon?"

Maka had a mixture of emotions warring in her eyes. She looked hopeful and excited but at the same time angry and worried. "I don't know exactly but from the sounds of it in the next week or so. I'm not leaving Crona behind to continue to be tortured by his mother under the noses of clueless doctors."

Kid saw the desperation in her eyes and he didn't like the plan she was implying. "Why don't we just tell somebody what going on." He suggested.

"It's the word of a couple of teenage mental patients against a respected, sane, journalist. And besides Crona's so scared of her he would just deny anything we accused her of. We have to help Crona escape."

"Maka, even if we somehow got him out of here what is he going to do then?" This was a bad idea, Kid had to make her see sense.

Maka looked down at the floor for a moment then looked back up with a new determination in her eyes. "I'll go with him."

Kid was shocked to say the least. Two mentally ill teenagers on the run together did not sound like it would end well. "You can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because, for one, it's dangerous."

"It's better than him being trapped here with regular visits from Medusa."

"Maka,-"

"Soul already agreed to help me. If you don't then we'll just do it on our own."

Kid started tapping, trying to think of what to do. He couldn't rat them out. They could just deny their plan and say that he is being paranoid. But maybe he could insure that they got caught in the process. As much as he would love to get Crona away from Medusa this was not the way to do it. "Fine. I'll help you." He said grudgingly.

Maka grasped his arm firmly. "Thank you."

Kid swallowed hard as he looked down at her hand. "Could you grab my other arm too?" he requested seriously.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion but obliged.

* * *

It was a couple of days later that they put their plan into action. Soul would act as a distraction while Maka and Crona would hide in one laundry cart and Kid would hide in another. Kid shivered as he stood waiting for the signal. The thought of having to hide under a pile of dirty laundry was putting him on edge. _I have to do this for my friends._ He reminded himself. _When did I start thinking of them as my friends?_ The sides of his mouth twitched up in an almost smile. He had never really had friends before. Most of his peers would distance themselves once they found out how high maintanence he was. Kid had to admit that this was a nice change.

Laundry carts were suddenly being pushed through the common area and toward the hallway that led to the door that would then lead out of the ward. Kid straightened up watching Soul for the signal. Soul was sitting across from another patient playing cards when suddenly he stood up and threw his cards at the other patient. He then flipped the table and started raging about how much he hated cheaters, and cards, and anything else he could think of. Kid was almost certain that this was the signal since it had drawn the attention of all the staff.

Maka dove for one of the laundry carts dragging Crona along with her. Kid sprinted over to the other cart and hesitated. He glanced over at the chaos going on nearby and met Soul's eyes. Soul bared his teeth at him looking irritated. Kid turned back to the cart. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was about to dive in when he heard an unfamiliar voice.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Kid's eyes flew open and he saw a man in a doctor's coat looking down into the laundry cart Maka and Crona had been hiding in. The man had light colored hair, glasses, and a scar across his face. The man reached in and pulled Crona and then Maka out of the laundry cart.

Maka stood with her arms crossed over her chest as she glared up at the man. Crona stood slightly behind her nervously looking anywhere but at the man. Kid studied him and his eyes fell to the nametag attached to his coat. _Dr. Stein. This must be Sid's permanent replacement._

"What were you doing?" Dr. Stein asked again.

Maka chewed her lip, thinking hard. "I lost something. We were looking for it." She responded calmly.

"Really?" Stein looked unimpressed. "What were you looking for?"

Kid turned to glance over at Soul. Everything had started calming down once they were discovered. Soul sat on one of the couches silently fuming as one of the other doctors spoke to him quietly. A couple of orderlies were cleaning the surprisingly huge mess Soul was able to make. Meanwhile, nurses were trying calm down the other patients.

"I don't think it's really any of your business." Maka countered.

Stein looked mildly amused. "Hmm. Maybe we can talk about it in our session, which should be starting-" he looked down at his watch. "Five minutes ago. I believe my office is right this way." As he escorted Maka away she kept glancing back at them giving them meaningful looks Kid could only interpret to mean that this wasn't over.

With a sigh Kid made his way back to his room. It was only when he went to close the door that he realized that Crona had followed him. "Did you need something?" Kid asked slightly impatient.

Crona started wringing his hands as he shrugged. "I just- What are we- I mean, what's going to happen now?"

Instead of closing his door Kid opened it a little wider for Crona to enter. The pink haired boy shuffled in. "I'm guessing that Maka is going to come up with another half-baked plan that we will then attempt to carry out."

It was quiet for a moment as Crona looked around. "Your room is really clean."

Kid smiled and puffed up a little at the compliment. "Thank you."

They both stood there awkwardly not really knowing what to say to each other without Maka. Kid sat down on the edge of his bed and Crona followed suit.

"Why did you decide to go through with Maka's plan?" Kid asked suddenly. "You're so adamant about not telling anyone what your mom does to you but you're willing to run away."

Crona sighed. "Maka, told me that I can't live like this for the rest of my life. And I thought about that, living every day like this, and I can't keep doing this." His voice cracked as he spoke. "Medusa has no intention of ever letting me live my own life. And I don't think that's a life worth living."

As Kid listened he started to feel his resolve to make sure they got caught crumble. Would it really be best to keep Crona there? He wasn't so sure anymore.

* * *

When Kid entered Sid's old office he immeadiatly noticed that Dr. Stein was already making himself at home. He did not think that was a good thing at all considering that Stein's style was to make everything completely asymmetrical. He sat down and honestly did not hear a thing the man was saying. He was too focused on the way that everything was out of alignment.

Once the session was over and Kid exited the office he felt like he could breathe again. That office was going to haunt his nightmares, he was sure of it. He decided then and there that he greatly disliked Dr. Stein.

* * *

Kid slept in the exact center of his bed and could not get to sleep unless he was certain that he was laying perfectly in the center. This usually took a while. He shifted to the left, then to the right, straightened his sheets and comforter, then back to the left. He stilled when he heard his door creak open.

One by one three shadows slipped into his room then closed the door. Kid sat up and one of the shadows flipped on the light switch. He blinked and squinted in the sudden light. Maka, Crona, and Soul stood there watching him expectantly.

"Well, come on." Maka whispered impatiently.

Kid threw off the covers and got to his feet. "What are you doing?"

"Our plan earlier today didn't work so I figured that a more covert attempt would be successful. So come on!"

He nodded and turned around to start fixing his sheets.

"What the hell are you doing?" Soul whispered incredulously.

"Making my bed." Kid replied calmly.

"I told you we should have left him."

Seven minutes later they were at the end of the hall trying to figure out a way to get past the nurse's desk. "We're going to have to make a run for it." Maka whispered.

"What?" Crona squeaked.

Maka looked at Crona apologetically. "You need to go first."

"No." he begged. "I can't."

Suddenly, Soul shoved Crona out of the hall and the boy froze like a deer in the headlights. "Go!" Maka hissed. Crona scurried across the room into the other hall where he leaned against the wall trying to catch his breath.

One by one each of them ran silently across the common area into the other hall. Once they had all made it they walked to the door that led out of the ward. They all let out a chorus of soft curses when they realized that the door had a code lock.

"What are you doin'?" asked a child-like voice.

Kid looked up and saw Liz but she looked different, her hair was pulled back. "Hi, Liz." He said trying to sound nonchalant.

"I'm not Liz." She said with a laugh. "I'm Patty. Liz is my older sister."

Kid looked very closely, she may have her hair pulled back but it was most definitely Liz. "Okay." He said slowly. "Hi, Patty."

Maka leaned over and whispered. "She has multiple personalities."

"I've never seen her do this before."

"She doesn't do this as often as she did when I got here."

"Are you playing hide and go seek?" she asked in a loud whisper.

They all shushed her

"You're all weird." She giggled quietly. "Do you want to leave? Is that why you're all out here? 'Cause I know the code."

"You do?" Kid asked with wide eyes.

She laughed. "That's what I just said. It's six eight three two."

Maka smiled warmly. "Thank you."

Soul hurriedly typed in the code and they all slipped out with Patty calling after them. "Good luck, weird people."

As they quickly sneaked down the dark corridor in single file Crona whispered to no one in particular. "How did she know the code?"

"Who cares?" Soul replied. "All that matters is that she did."

They went through the door to the stairs and travelled down to the first floor. Maka peeked out and motioned to the others that the coast was clear. "Come on." She whispered.

As they all stepped out there was suddenly the sound of quick, purposeful footsteps about to come around the corner. Maka threw open another door and pulled Crona through, Soul and Kid following close behind. They all collectively held their breath and listened for the footsteps to pass. It was only for a few seconds but it felt like they stood tensely listening through the door for an eternity.

Once he heard them fade away Kid leaned his back against the door and exhaled heavily. Soul was grinning in relief as Maka leaned on him as she let out the breath she had been holding. But Crona stood staring at the staircase in front of them. "Where does it go?" he asked in an oddly distant voice.

Kid stood up straight. "This building doesn't have a basement." He stated a deep frown creasing his forehead.

Crona seemed to mentally shake himself and took a step back towards the door. A wave of curiosity came over Kid and before he could think better of it he was descending the stairs. He could hear the others trying to call after him as quietly as they could but the only thought running through his mind was that this building wasn't supposed to have a basement. He had seen the blueprints hanging in administrator's office before, and there was nothing below the lobby.

At the bottom of the stairs was a tiny room and a door on the far wall. It had the same kind of code lock as the door to the adolescent ward. He heard the other's running down the stairs after him and they stopped right behind him.

"Kid, what are you doing?" Maka asked incredulously.

Kid shook his head in disbelief. "None of this is supposed to be here." He had a bad feeling as he stared at the door. Something wasn't right about this.

"We need to get going." Soul announced impatiently. His arms were crossed across his chest as Crona hid slightly behind him.

"I need to know what's in there." Kid said as he started walking towards the door. He hoped that the code was the same as it was for the adolescent ward.

As he reached for the number pad the door suddenly opened and Nurse Thalia exited. "What are you all doing down here?" She asked shocked.

"We were just-" Kid was cut off by a scream. A shiver went up his spine. It was a terror filled scream that chilled him to his core.


	5. Chapter 5: Kid vs Blackstar

A/N: Sorry its taking me so long to get chapters out. I have a couple of weeks off of school so hopefully I can get a couple of chapters out in that time. Like always, I appreciate any feedback that can help me be a better writer. Thanks.

Chapter 5: Kid vs. Blackstar

The door slammed shut cutting off the screams completely. "What is in there?" Kid demanded. "What is going on?"

Nurse Thalia looked flustered. "You children, need to go back upstairs." She told them urgently. "Now."

"Does my father know what's going on down here?" Nurse Thalia didn't answer. With a pinched expression she started herding them up the stairs.

None of them spoke as the nurse led them back up to the adolescent ward. Kid's mind was going a mile a minute. He needed to call his father, tell him what he had seen and heard. Were patients being mistreated? Whatever was going on down there it couldn't be good, not from the sounds of those screams. That sound was imprinted on his mind. He didn't think he would ever forget it.

He wondered if the others were as disturbed by it as he was. Looking around at them he saw that Maka looked disheartened, Crona exhausted and worried, which wasn't much different from usual, and Soul just looked tired. It wasn't exactly encouraging that he seemed to be the only one concerned by this.

Once he had been escorted back to his room Kid tried to go through his routine of getting ready for bed, but every time he would get distracted by his thoughts about the screams and he would have to start over again. He had started over several times before he could finally get through it and go to bed. But sleep wouldn't come to him, he laid there in the exact center of his bed staring at the ceiling. Kid was thankful when morning came only a couple of hours later and he could start his morning routine.

As he methodically brushed his teeth something in the mirror caught his eye. He stared straight into the reflective surface, foaming toothpaste dribbling down his chin, as he was horrified to see that the white stripes in his hair were clear as day. The black dye had finally washed out completely. It had happened so gradually that it was just now making its full impact.

Kid went back to brushing his teeth, the normal activity helping to calm him. Maybe he could get a hat, or special privileges to dye his hair. His family did own the hospital. That thought reminded him that he needed to call his father about the screaming in the basement.

He spit out the toothpaste and tried to breathe deeply through his nose. The lack of sleep, the screams in the basement, trying to protect Crona, the lines in his hair; it was all becoming overwhelming. He closed his eyes and gripped the sink as he started tapping. _One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…_

Once he was calm enough he finished his routine and went to eat breakfast. He didn't see Maka, Crona, or Soul and assumed that they must be sleeping in after their late night excursion. He sat with Liz and smiled politely as she complained about the lack of clothing options they gave them in the hospital. She was in one of her more talkative moods. Kid considered asking her about "Patti" but decided against it. He was too exhausted to delve into such a sensitive topic.

"You okay?" Kid shook himself from his reverie to see a concerned expression on Liz's face. "You were spacing out. What's up?"

Kid tried to force a more genuine smile. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"I've gotta be honest, sometimes I worry about you, Kid."

He wasn't sure how to feel about that remark so he just muttered. "Thanks?"

After the awkward breakfast with Liz Kid stood by the nurses' station phone in hand after they dialed his dad's office for him. Apparently, they wanted to be sure of who he was calling. He waited impatiently through several rings before there was the click of someone picking up. He felt his heart leap into his throat as he suddenly wondered if his dad would believe him.

"Hello, you have reached Mr. Grimm's office. This is Ms. Ramon speaking. How may I help you?"

Kid felt his heart drop from his throat into the pit of his stomach when he heard the voice of his dad's assistant. "Hannah, I need to speak with my father."

"Oh, hello, sweetie!" Her voice immeadiately changed from professional to patronizing. Kid had always despised his dad's assistant. She had always treated him like a three year old. Whenever he had to interact with her she sounded like she was humoring him. Her only redeeming factor was that her first name was symmetrical. "Your dad's going to be in meetings all day. He won't be able to talk to you, honey."

Kid swallowed down his frustration. "It's important. Please, pull him out of his meeting."

She giggled and it made Kid want to reach through the phone and shake her. "I can't do that. He's talking to some very important people."

He pulled the phone away from his ear and took several deep breaths. He couldn't let it get to him. "Hannah, I'm calling because there's a problem here at the hospital."

"Sweetie, I know you're used to the comforts of home but you're there to get help. I can't pull him out of a meeting just because you want to complain." She had spoken in the sweetest voice she could manage which just made her even more insufferable.

"Put him on the damn phone!" Kid had lost his composure. He was fuming and the nurse at the station was staring at him.

Ms. Ramon gasped and sounded offended when she spoke. "I won't talk to you if you're going to curse at me like that."

There was the soft click of her hanging up and Kid had to hold himself back from throwing the phone at the wall. Instead he handed it back to the nurse and walked over to start compulsively straightening the stack of board games in the common area.

Once he had finished and was slightly calmer he looked through the window to see Maka and Soul talking outside. Kid started to head out there to talk to them about the basement when he was stopped by a certain blue haired thirteen year old. "Hey, Kid, I've been meaning to ask you, what's up with your hair? Why does it have those white stripes in it?"

"I'm not in the mood for your usual idiocy." Kid said in a forced calm voice. Blackstar was more than he could handle today. The other boy had been testing his patience since day one and he was getting to his breaking point.

Blackstar frowned. "I was just asking you a question."

Kid glanced around and saw Tsubaki helping another patient figure out how to put a puzzle together. He silently begged her to come and get Blackstar. "My hair is not something I wish to discuss."

"Why not? It's just hair. It's not like I asked you what color your underwear is."

Kid rolled his eyes and pushed past him to go outside. He made it just out the door when Blackstar appeared once more in front of him. "You think you're better than me don't you?" Blackstar asked his expression serious. "You think you're better than everyone here. I heard your dad owns this place, is that why you act so high and mighty?"

"I don't think I'm better than everyone here, just better than you."

Blackstar's expression became stony. Kid guessed that he must have struck a nerve, he almost regretted his words. "Yeah? Well, your hair's stupid." With that Blackstar threw his fist forward to hit Kid in the side of his face.

Kid was a little slow from getting no sleep but he was still able to dodge the blow. He was angry, not so much because Blackstar tried to hit him, but more because of everything building up. Everything from being sent here in the first place to the whole thing with Crona's mom to the basement to the conversation with Hannah to Blackstar, it was all overwhelming him and he had no control over any of it. So it was no surprise that he found himself throwing his own punch and he was sure it would've felt good if he hadn't missed.

Suddenly, Maka, Soul, and Tsubaki were there trying to separate them. Everyone started talking at once. Blackstar was the loudest, yelling about how Kid was being an asshole.

"All of you, shut up and follow me." They all turned to see Dr. Stein standing there looking sinister as ever. "Come on." He said impatiently as he motioned for them to follow.

They all stood crowded into the disorganized office that Kid so despised. "We're going to work out your issues with each other." Stein announced. "But first let me remind you," at this he locked eyes with Kid and then Blackstar. "we do not allow violent patients to be treated here. That means if you attack another patient or a member of staff you will be sent to another facility. One better equipped to deal with volatile patients."

Kid felt his face burn in angry embarrassment. He had let his frustrations get the better of him. He was lucky that Blackstar had dodged his punch and that Stein seemed inclined to give them a warning. If he had landed that punch his father would have had to transfer him to a place with higher security and most likely extended his stay.

Stein grabbed his chair, spun it around, and straddled it. "So we're going to work this out, _without_ your fists."

Kid sighed and turned to Blackstar who was glaring daggers at him. All their friends were watching them. Tsubaki kept her hand on Blackstar's arm, keeping him calm. The other boy obviously was not going to be the first to speak, but Kid couldn't find the words. The room was silent for several awkward moments.

Stein yawned as he placed his arms on the headrest of the chair, then rested his chin on top of his arms. "I could do this all day." He told them. "Think of this as an impromptu group therapy. Let's start with: who threw the first punch?"

"I did." Blackstar admitted. Kid expected him to sound proud when making the announcement. He realized that the other boy was too angry (maybe too hurt?) to be proud.

"Why?"

Blackstar shrugged. "Don't know."

"Blackstar." Tsubaki admonished.

"Fine." Blackstar grinned but it looked more like he was baring his teeth at Kid. "He said he was better than me. No one's better than me."

Everyone turned their gaze to Kid, making him feel exposed. "Is that what happened?" Stein asked blandly.

"Yes." Kid confessed. "I said that. I was annoyed and already short-tempered. When Blackstar started asking me some questions that… annoyed me I said what I knew would bother him most."

"What did he ask you?"

Kid cringed at the question. "Nothing important." He answered quickly, then silently begged Blackstar to keep his mouth shut.

"I was only asking him about the weird lines in his hair." Blackstar said.

Stein looked intently at Kid. "Why did that bother you?"

Kid could feel his chest tighten and his body thrum with anxiety. The only way he could get through the day is if he ignored the lines in his hair. When he didn't have to look at them he could forget they existed but when someone brought his attention back to them his resentment of them and himself was renewed. He could feel tears of shame building in his eyes. "It's not symmetrical!" he choked out. "I- I'm not symmetrical! I'm garbage. Nothing but filthy, useless, asymmetrical garbage. I should just do the world a favor and die."

Blackstar's eyes went wide. "Hey, I think your hair is cool."

Kid felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see it was Maka. The look on her face spoke volumes. It said that she understood his self-loathing. It made him feel a little less alone.

He turned back to see that Blackstar had stepped closer. "You shouldn't say stuff like that about yourself. Bullshit like that isn't true. But I won't talk about your hair if you don't want me to." He held out his hand. "Friends?"

Kid grasped his hand in a firm handshake. Sure, he still thought that Blackstar was a narcissistic, obnoxious, idiot, but maybe he wasn't as bad as he originally thought. "Friends."


	6. Chapter 6: Crona's Chapter

A/N: This chapter is from Crona's point of view. It's kind of a transitional chapter to help move the plot along. The next chapter will return to Kid's POV so don't worry.

Trigger Warnings: animal cruelty, and child abuse

Chapter 6: Crona's Chapter

Ragnarok was a shadow. He didn't usually hold a concrete form and when he did it constantly changed. He would hover at the corner of Crona's vision and whisper (or sometimes shriek) in his ear.

Ragnarok had always been there since Crona could remember. As a child Ragnarok was the imaginary friend who kept him company but at some point he had turned into something dark. He became the embodiment of all of Crona's doubts and fears.

It was morning and the whole night before Ragnarok had hovered over him on the ceiling. Every time Crona had started to doze off Ragnarok would start shrieking, keeping him awake. He wondered how no one could hear the deafening screams.

The medications were supposed to keep Ragnarok away but Medusa had a nurse working for her changing out his meds with sugar pills. Eruka had the perfect job to do that, working with dispensing the patients' medications.

Eruka had talked to him the other day when he got his meds. She told him that Medusa knew about his excursion to the basement. Her expression had been unreadable and her tone neutral but as he turned to walk away she had winked at him.

It was eating him up wondering what Medusa would do or say to him when she visited later. Yet he was a little relieved that the escape plan hadn't worked because as sick as it was Medusa was still his mother and he had no idea what he would do out there, on his own without her was the scariest thought to him. She cared about him in her own twisted way and that had to be enough for him.

Crona sat up in bed staring at the wall, stomach churning with anticipation and anxiety. The clock sat high up on the wall where he couldn't reach it, its ticking loud in the silence of the early morning. He watched the hands slowly move across the clock face only dozing off twice.

Once it was a more reasonable hour he heard a knock on his door. "Come in." he called out knowing exactly who it was.

Maka entered and gave him a small smile. "Hey." She greeted.

Crone gave her his own crooked smile and replied. "Good morning, Maka."

"We're going to be late for breakfast if you don't get out of bed."

"Oh, sorry." Crona stumbled out of bed and rushed into the bathroom.

Crona got ready as quickly as he could with his limbs being clumsy from exhaustion. When he exited he saw Maka sitting on his bed waiting for him. She looked slightly impatient but she brightened when she saw him. "Ready?"

Crona enjoyed meal times. He enjoyed being surrounded by everyone talking and teasing each other. It was an unconventional and kind of depressing imitation of what he thought having a normal life, without Medusa, might be like.

Being put here was probably the best thing to ever happen to him. He knew this was all part of something Medusa was planning. He didn't know what it was but he was happy he was here. For the first time in his life he had friends, he was around people he thought actually cared about him. And most importantly he didn't have to see Medusa every day. Unfortunately, today was one of the day's he would have to see her.

At that thought he looked down at his food. Having lost his appetite, he pushed his meal away. Maka looked at him with concern. "I'm just not all that hungry." He said softly.

"Dude, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" Blackstar told him seriously.

Crona could feel himself shrink in on himself. He found Blackstar very intimidating.

Kid looked up from where he was still sorting his food. "For once he is right." He admitted.

Blackstar grinned. "Come on, Kid, I'm always right!" Kid and their newest addition to their table, Liz, rolled their eyes in unison at Blackstar's comment.

Crona met Maka's concerned gaze once more and shrugged. "I can't help it if I'm not hungry."

She nodded. "Okay." But she looked unconvinced.

The day passed too quickly. Maka tried to distract from the impending visit from his mother. They played cards, studied, watched television. It only worked for so long. When lunch came around he still couldn't eat.

Crona drew out his session with Dr. Stein as long as possible in hopes that it would run over into visiting hours. At a certain point Stein had to cut it off and promised that they could pick it up next time.

When he saw Maka after his therapy she shoved an apple into his hand. "You need to eat. I know what it's like when you feel like you can't eat but you have to."

He took a bite and Maka smiled at him. He liked it when she smiled, especially when it was directed at him. She led him outside and they walked in silence. For the first time all day Crona felt calm.

"She's going to punish us and it's all your fault." Crona was startled by the familiar voice. He should have known the calm wouldn't last. Ragnarok's inky black shadow could be seen out of the corner of his eye. "Why do you always have to drag me down with you? You're a pathetic waste of space. Always causing me trouble."

Ragnarok was right. All he did was cause pain for those around him. He only had to recall the memory of his pet rabbit to know that.

"_Kick it!"_

"_No!" Crona sobbed. "I can't."_

_His mother towered over him. She looked disappointed and furious at the same time. Her eyes bored into him like laser beams. "You have to learn that in order to get anything in life you have to step on those weaker than you."_

"_I can't! Lily didn't do anything!" At six years old his rabbit was everything to him, his whole world. The little brown bunny looked up at him curiously, probably wondering why he had tears and snot running down his face._

"_If you won't kick it then you won't eat." Medusa picked Crona up by the back of his shirt and carried him out of his bedroom. _

_Crona started sobbing harder when he saw where they were headed. "Please, no! I'm sorry! I'll do better! I promise!" She opened the closet door and tossed him in unceremoniously before leaving and locking the door behind her. "I don't like the dark!" he called after her. "I can't see anything."_

"_Look what you've done, you idiot!"_

"_Ragnarok?"_

"_Not only do you have to get yourself punished but me too? Why didn't you ask me what I wanted to do? You should've kicked the crap out of the thing!"_

"_Ragnarok, why are you being so mean to me? I love Lily. I couldn't hurt her."_

"_It's just a stupid rabbit!"_

_Crona felt his face crumple as a fresh wave of tears ran down his already tear stained cheeks. "My tummy hurts."_

"_Well, it's gonna keep hurting til you do what she says."_

_Crona didn't know how long he was in there. His stomach stopped hurting after a while and he peed in the bucket in the corner twice before Medusa opened the door again._

"_Are you ready to be a good boy and do as you're told?"_

_Crona walked over to the door squinting at the sudden light rushing into his dark little world. He bit his lip. He knew what he had to say and what he had to do to but he couldn't bring himself to agree to it. "I can't hurt Lily." He replied softly. She kicked him and he flew back into the closet, where he cried himself to sleep as Ragnarok admonished him._

_It had to have been more than a day later that Medusa opened the door again longer than enough time to throw a couple of water bottles in to him. She stood holding the door open and Crona stepped out into the light once more._

"_Are you ready to be a good boy and do as you're told?"_

_Crona nodded. Everything seemed surreal as he was led down the hallway and back to his bedroom. He was dreaming. Yeah, that's what was happening. It was all a dream. A giggle bubbled out of his mouth and he didn't know why._

_Next thing he knew he was standing over a sleeping rabbit inside its tiny gated corral. It kind of looked like Lily. Another giggle that he couldn't control came out._

"_Kill it." Medusa and Ragnarok spoke in unison. This made him laugh for some reason. He was laughing too hard to be able to stop. He kicked it and kept kicking, and kept laughing._

_When he stopped Medusa left the room saying that she was going out to get them some dinner. Crona stared down at the little brown rabbit covered in red. This wasn't a dream. Reality was setting in. _

"_Good job! We're going to eat like kings tonight!"_

_Crona screamed._

Crona felt the half of the apple he had eaten coming back up. He turned away from Maka and doubled over as he heaved. Maka's hand rubbed circles in his back until he was done.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"No." He would never be okay.

"I'll go get a nurse."

Crona laid in bed his stomach still sore from throwing up. Maka had offered to stay with him but he had turned down her offer saying that he was probably just going to sleep. At least his getting sick got him out of Medusa's visit.

He rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes. "My dear Crona." His eyes flew open. Medusa stood in the doorway smiling at him. His whole body began to shake in fear as she stepped farther into the room and closed the door behind her. "They told me you were ill so I assured the nurses that I would only stay for a few minutes."

Crona slowly sat up. "I- I'm sorry, Lady Medusa."

"Why are you apologizing, child? You found what I have been looking for. Well done."

He wasn't sure what that was in her voice. Maybe, pride? "You mean the secret basement we found?"

"We?"

"Maka, Soul, and Kid were with me." He was telling her too much. He begged himself to stop talking.

"Did they see anything?"

"No, we only heard screaming. Kid was really disturbed by the whole thing. Maka was just worried about me." Crona smiled when he spoke about Maka. "And Soul was annoyed, but he's always annoyed."

Medusa looked thoughtful. "Kid and Maka seem to be my biggest concerns right now. Their always coming in and out when we're… discussing matters. I might need to take care of them."

Crona was frantic. "No! I'm sure that they won't get in the way."

"Eruka already reported that Kid was trying to tell his father about the incident. We can't risk it. I should go. I told those busybody nurses I wouldn't stay long."

After Medusa left Crona sat motionless. He was overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions. He was worried about what Medusa would do to Maka and Kid. But he was also happy that Medusa was proud of him. He couldn't remember when if ever she had had a positive emotion directed toward him. And because of that he felt ashamed. He didn't know what Medusa's plan was but he knew nothing good could come of it.

"Well, at least you finally did something right." Crona cringed at Ragnarok's words.

It was all too much. He pushed it away. He pushed it all away until he wasn't there. He was watching it all from far away, worlds away, where none of this existed.


	7. Chapter 7: Empty Ghosts Part 1

A/N: Hey, I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has reviewed. It really keeps me motivated and it's helpful to get feedback that will improve my writing. All the nice things you guys have said makes me want to give you guys a great story. I hope that I live up to that. And thank you in general to everyone that is reading this. I love writing for you guys.

**IMPORTANT:** scroll to the bottom for trigger warning

Chapter 7: Empty Ghosts, Part 1

Kid walked with Maka up to get her medicine. She said that it was better than having the nurse come and find her, interrupting whatever she was doing to take her meds. Maka claimed that one time she was in the middle of taking a shower when a nurse came and banged on the door ordering her to come out and take her meds.

As they made their way up to the desk Kid tried to discuss the basement incident with her. "Aren't you concerned about what's going on down there?" he asked in a low voice.

Maka sighed. "Yeah, I think there's something sketchy going on down there, but to be honest, Kid, I'm getting out of here soon and I'm busy trying to figure out how I'm going to help Crona. That basement is the least of my worries at the moment."

Kid huffed out a breath in frustration. Didn't she realize whatever was in the basement could affect all of them. If it turned out to be the mistreatment of a patient the whole place could be shut down.

They got to the desk and a little cup was handed through the window. Maka took it but stopped when she looked down into the cup. "This isn't right." She told the nurse.

"Maka Albarn, right?" Nurse Eruka asked.

"Yeah, but these pills aren't right." She insisted.

"Your prescription was changed. This is a different antidepressant."

Maka clenched her fist, crumpling the cup around the pills. "No one talked to me about this." Kid took a step away from the girl knowing not to cross her when she was pissed.

Nurse Eruka shrugged. "I just hand them out."

Maka dumped the pills into her mouth and swallowed them dry. "Fine. I took the damn pills."

They both turned to walk away, well, Maka had prepared to stomp away, but they were stopped when Nurse Eruka spoke again. "Wait, Kid, I have your meds right here."

Kid turned back. His mouth had gone dry and he emphatically shook his head. "No, I'm not taking anything. My father already told you that I'm being treated by therapy only."

"Well, you were prescribed an antidepressant for your OCD." She held out the tiny paper cup, pills rolling around inside.

Kid had told his father that he did not wish to be medicated. Even though his OCD interfered with his life he liked who he was and he was afraid that medication might change him. This was not something that could be a "mix-up". "Did anyone speak to my father about this?" he asked trying to stay calm.

"We do need parental approval for any change in medication."

That meant that his father had approved him being medicated without talking to him first. Kid felt his heart drop into his stomach. Everyone was making decisions for him without his input. Did anyone even see him as a person anymore?

Mechanically Kid took the cup containing the pills and the small cup of water. He swallowed the pills as he was told and walked away with Maka. They were both quiet as they went back to their group of friends.

"Hey, Kid, you okay? You look a little funny." It was Patty today.

"He just got some bad news." Maka said carefully.

Kid attempted to give Patty a half smile but it came out as more of a grimace. "I'll be fine."

"Do you wanna do a puzzle? Puzzles always make me happy!"

Kid agreed, hoping it would take his mind off of his father's betrayal. He sat down across from Patty who was already dumping puzzle pieces on the table. Maka sat with Soul and Blackstar, talking and playing cards. Kid started to sort the pieces by shape and color.

"What are you doing?" Patty asked curiously.

"We need to sort them first." Kid informed her.

Patty giggled. "Why?" She started mixing up the piles that Kid had started to make in her process of trial and error. "Just shove the pieces together and if they don't fit try another!"

Kid started to feel panicked at her disorganized attempt to put the puzzle together. This was doing nothing to make him feel better. "You can't do that!"

"Sure I can."

"No. If you don't sort them first then everything falls apart. If there's no order then nothing works, if nothing works then nothing matters!"

"You're funny!" Patty laughed.

Was this why his dad wanted him medicated? Because he couldn't even complete a puzzle without freaking out.

"Yeah, they're changing up my meds for no reason." Kid turned his attention to Maka. She was informing Soul about earlier. "I was doing just fine and now this."

"Nobody here knows what they're doing." Soul was fuming. Kid was sure that if this was a cartoon steam would be coming out of his ears. "I'm willing to go knock some heads together, if you want."

Maka rolled her eyes but then she said fondly. "Don't be an idiot."

Tsubaki came into the room and announced. "Group A, it's time for your group activity."

Blackstar leapt to his feet and ran over to her with a grin on his face. "What are we doing today?"

Tsubaki laughed, amused at his excitement. "We're working with clay today."

Kid used the clay to make eight perfectly round spheres. He was lining them up attempting a perfectly straight line. When he got it just right he couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face at his success. "Patty, look." He said wanting to show off a little.

Patty grinned at how proud he was but her smile faltered a bit. "Why do you sound weird?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That."

Kid paused for a moment. She was right he could hear the slight slurring in his speech. He cleared his throat, and swallowed hard. "It's nothing." There it was gone now.

There was a clatter behind him and he turned to see that Maka had knocked a cup of pencils that had been used to etch designs into the clay onto the floor. "Dammit." She muttered as she started to gather them up. Kid frowned when he saw that her fingers were fumbling and her movements were slightly less coordinated than usual.

"Hey, Kid." He turned back and saw Blackstar was pointing at his table. "Nice balls." The younger boy started loudly guffawing at the innuendo he had made. Kid rolled his eyes and smashed the clay back together. Not everyone could appreciate perfection.

It was at dinner that everything started to feel really strange. His speech had started to slur again and his movements became sloppy. He felt like he was in a fog.

Kid stared down at his plate and used his fork to mix the chicken and broccoli together.

"What the hell are you doing?" Blackstar blurted out. The younger boy looked horrified.

"What?" Kid blinked and looked at his plate. Everything was all mixed together and he felt a sense of unease.

"You're mixing your food. Isn't that like sacrilegious to you or something?"

At this point Soul scoffed. "OCD is a disorder not religion."

Kid shook his head. "I didn't realize I was doing it." He quickly remedied this by separating it out like it should be. Yet he didn't get the same satisfaction from it. It felt like he was doing it out of habit.

When he looked up from his plate again he realized something was missing. "Where's Maka?" How had he only just now noticed her absence? He must be really out of it.

Soul tightened his grip on his fork and stabbed at the food on his plate. "She went to bed early. I can't believe these idiots put her on some new medication that's making her worse not better. Her old one was working fine."

Kid felt angry and concerned over this but the feelings were distant and vague, like the memory of an emotion. After that Kid ate the rest of his meal mechanically. It tasted like sawdust in his mouth.

When he went through his evening routine, it was more out of habit than obligation. He didn't feel happy or content when everything was just right. It left him hollow. He combed his hair after his shower, he folded the toilet paper in a perfect triangle, he checked and rechecked everything several times, but it felt meaningless.

He went to bed and he laid in the exact center of the bed. It didn't make feel relaxed or at ease like it usually did. Instead he felt uncomfortable as if rocks had been placed inside his mattress. He rolled over to one side and closed his eyes waiting for the sudden wave of panic that would insist he move back to the center of his bed. It never came.

The next day they upped his dosage and everything got worse. Instead of his feelings and emotions being distant they just disappeared altogether. It was like his whole world turned gray as he moved through a fog.

By day three of the new meds things stopped making sense. His brain was processing everything at a much slower rate and he couldn't keep up with his friends' conversations. From what he could understand Maka wasn't doing much better than he was.

That evening there was a knock on his bedroom door, he ignored it. The door slowly opened a moment later and Tsubaki leaned in. "Sorry, I knocked but you didn't answer and I-"

"It's fine." Kid slurred from where he lay on his bed staring at the ceiling.

"Blackstar asked me to come and get you. Dinner started ten minutes ago."

"Not hungry."

Tsubaki stepped into the room leaving the door open behind her. "Are you okay? You've been acting different."

"New meds."

Tsubaki opened her mouth, but hesitated. She was struggling between speaking and keeping her thoughts to herself. Finally she decided to go ahead. "If you want I can tell a nurse that the medication is having a negative effect on you."

Kid rolled onto his side and curled away from her. "No, my dad wanted this. He- he approved the medication. Can you just go?"

After she left Kid laid there feeling like everything was wrong but he didn't know how to fix it. If this was what his dad wanted then he had no power to change it. He hated feeling so helpless. He missed having the ability to hop on his skateboard and get away when everything was all too much.

Kid woke up to his room being completely submerged in darkness. He must have fallen asleep. It was the middle of night, but what had woken him. Suddenly, a shadow moved against the wall. He was still foggy from his meds and wasn't sure if he had imagined it.

He stared at the wall and waited. His eyelids drooped shut before he could know for sure. Then there was a warm breath on his ear and his eye shot open again. He gripped his blankets in a tight grip and stayed as still as possible. This had to be a dream.

"Stay away from the basement." A voice croaked. "If you go near it again you'll regret it."

Kid could feel his heart beating so hard he thought it would burst out of his chest. His eyes were wide as he glared at the ceiling unable to turn his head and face the owner of the croaking voice. When he heard the door click shut he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "Oh, god." He breathed out.

His whole body was trembling as he tried to process what had just happened. Yet his mind was moving at a sluggish pace and he couldn't discern if this was a dream or reality. Kid blinked hard and pinched his arm in an attempt to wake himself up. Nothing seemed real lately.

When he next opened his eyes it was morning.

Kid wondered if he had had a drug induced nightmare. He looked in the mirror and saw the dark circles under his eyes. His hair was unkempt and his skin was deathly pale. He couldn't bring himself to care. He knew the drugs were doing weird things to him. Yeah, it was probably just a nightmare.

At visiting hours Kid sat on the couch with his knees pulled up to his chest and half-heartedly watched people come and go without really acknowledging anything. It had gotten too difficult to even try to process things. Everything was marred by the fog in his brain.

He saw Maka sitting across from her dad. Her dad was trying to talk to her but she was staring right through him. "Maka!" he said loudly trying to get her attention. "What is wrong?"

Soul had just walked into the common area and went over to talk to Maka's father. "She's been like that since they changed up her meds." Soul explained with narrowed eyes.

"What! No one told me about this!" Her dad grabbed a passing nurse and yelled. "What have you done to my daughter?"

It was quite the scene but Kid couldn't seem to grasp what was actually happening. Everything was scrambled in his head. He wandered back to his room and collapsed on his bed. He didn't know how much longer he could take this. Maybe dying would be better than this half-aware state he was in.

He didn't know how long he was laying there before Tsubaki came bursting into the room. She sat down on the bed next to him and shook his shoulder gently but urgently. "Kid, I need to tell you something."

"Yeah." He slurred.

"I heard about what happened with Maka so I asked a nurse to check your records too. It turns out your dad never approved you being medicated. In fact you weren't even officially prescribed anything. Kid, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Kid was sure whatever she was saying was important but it was too much too fast. "What?"

"Kid, you were not supposed to be taking anything." She said simply.

It still wasn't getting through. None of this could be right. Medicine that should be helping him should not be making him feel like this. "I can't. Can you call my dad?" he asked with a whimper.

"It's going to be okay." Tsubaki told him before leaving.

Kid lay there unmoving, wondering when this was finally going to all be over. His limbs were heavy and his head was full of cotton. He had only spent a few days on the meds and he was already forgetting what it was like to feel.

* * *

Trigger Warning: Misuse of prescription drugs, people being given drugs without full knowledge or consent.


	8. Chapter 8: Empty Ghosts Part 2

A/N: Here is the second part to the previous chapter. Reviews are always appreciated. Please, enjoy!

Chapter 8: Empty Ghosts, Part 2

Someone was shaking him. Had he fallen asleep? His eyes fluttered open and he found himself staring up at his dad. His expression was frantic as he stared down at his son with fear in his eyes. "Are you okay?" his dad asked, his voice shaky.

Kid frowned up at his dad. His father's voice was always steady, most of time he sounded outright light and silly, but he had never sounded so distraught. Kid tried to grasp a memory of a feeling: concern. But the feeling floated away. "I… I don't know." Kid managed to stagger out the words, his voice still slurred and unclear.

His dad suddenly pulled him close and he found his face smooshed against his dad's shoulder. Tears were trapped behind his eyes but they never spilled over.

"I swear I will find out who did this to you."

"I feel… empty." Kid stated in monotone.

His dad gently held him at arm's length. "I promise, it will pass and you will feel like yourself again soon."

"What if I never feel like myself again? I would rather die than stay like this."

He was being smooshed again and he could feel his father shaking. "Everything will be okay, Kid. I'm going to be taking you home."

"What?" Happiness, relief, glee: he should be feeling these things but they were so distant.

"I'm taking you home for now. At least until we figure this out. Get dressed and pack the things you will need while I go and get you checked out."

The door clicked shut and Kid was left trying to process what had happened. His dad's words were jumbled in his head. All he knew was that he needed to pack. He pulled out his bag from under his bed and shoved things in it without regard for order.

When his dad came back he had already changed back into the clothes he had been wearing when he had arrived. There was worry in his father's eyes and he knew it was because of his untucked shirt and generally sloppy appearance. In the past he would have been embarrassed even horrified at himself but right now it didn't matter to him. Nothing mattered.

His dad ushered him out of the room and Kid glanced at his friends as he passed them in the common area. He didn't see Maka. Before they made it to the exit from the ward he was tackled by Liz/Patty he wasn't sure who she was today. Whichever of them it was she was hugging him tightly. "I'll miss you." She said quietly before releasing him. He tried to feel something, anything, but he couldn't.

"I'll miss you too." He said with as much conviction as he could muster. From the disappointment on her face he guessed it must have fallen flat.

Once in the car he sat beside his father as Mickey drove them home. "I left your room exactly the way it was. I didn't let anyone touch it." His dad said seriously.

Kid shrugged as he gazed blankly out the window.

"The white lines in your hair are back." His dad stated carefully. "I like it better this way. They're cute."

Kid absently reached up to touch them and then lowered his hand again. He had despised those lines for so long and now… nothing. He heard his dad sigh when he didn't react. And for a split second he felt a flash of something. It was red and burning, and unpleasant. Was that anger? Yeah, he was angry. He was sent to that hospital so they could fix him and now that that part of him was gone his dad seemed sad about it.

The anger was gone as quickly as it had come.

He was home and it meant nothing. His dad asked him if he wanted anything to eat, saying that their chef had fixed a wonderful dinner earlier. Kid ignored the question and headed up the stairs to his room.

There was a layer of dust on everything, but the whole room was painfully symmetrical. It brought back the memory of the incident that had put him in the mental hospital. But there was no feeling attached to it. No, shame or indignity. It just sat there undigested in the forefront of his thoughts. He hated it. He hated the emptiness that threatened to devour him.

Kid laid down on the sheets without bothering to change them even though they were stale from being untouched. The fog in his brain kept him unaware of that need. It kept him unaware of a lot of things.

Three days passed and nothing had changed. He moved things in his room just to see if it would bother him, but it elicited nothing. His dad was around a lot more than usual. He tried to stay light and happy around his son but Kid couldn't manage enough care to even pretend to appreciate it.

Kid felt like a ghost moving through his home. Everything felt familiar but also dull and gray. He wondered if this was what life was going to be like from now on.

On the morning of the fourth day Kid stood in front of his bathroom mirror. He had forced himself to go through his normal routine and was now combing his hair in the precise way he used to. He stopped for a moment and tested out a smile. It looked unnatural on his face. "Symmetry is everything." He told himself seriously. The words tasted stale in his mouth. "It used to be everything."

He went downstairs and saw his dad getting ready to leave. "I'm sorry, Kiddo, but I have to go in to work today." He said apologetically. "I'll see you tonight." Kid nodded and waved as his dad left the mansion.

Kid did his best to keep busy. He tried to clean, cook, even watch YouTube videos, but none of it held his attention for long. He ended up standing in the middle of the foyer so frustrated he wanted to scream. Why was he so empty?

He gazed down at his hands. The cuts had faded but he remembered the pain from when he had broken the elephant in Sid's office his second day at the hospital. The pain had been bright and sharp. He theorized that something like that might just cut through the fog.

Moments later the kitchen knives stared up at him from the drawer. Was this really what he wanted? But it wasn't what he wanted, it was what he needed. Kid pulled out a small paring knife. He pressed the side of the blade against his palm. Could he really do this?

He stood there indecisively for much longer than he meant to. Then he started to press the edge of the blade into his flesh. Not enough to break the skin, just enough to begin to feel a sharp twinge. He couldn't do this.

"What are you doing?" His dad's voice startled him and the knife slipped. A large gash appeared in his hand. Blood started pouring out onto the tile. It surprised him how red it was. When the knife clattered on the floor his head jerked up and his eyes met his dad's. His dad rushed forward and grabbed one of the kitchen towels to try to stem the flow of blood. "What did you do?" This question wasn't as demanding as the first one. It was small and pleading.

Kid felt a stab of guilt more painful than the cut in his hand. "It was an accident."

"We need to get you to the ER."

The ER was crowded. The place smelled sterile but at the same time Kid felt like everything he touched was covered in germs. They took him back immediately. He was taken care of in record time but he was pretty sure this was because someone had recognized his dad.

"What happened here?" the nurse stitching up his wound asked.

"I was cooking and the knife slipped." He replied.

"You gotta be more careful."

He nodded in acknowledgment.

"You need to stop moving."

Kid had been shifting nervously under his father's accusing gaze. "Sorry." He muttered.

After the nurse left Kid stared down at his hands in shame. One was bandaged tightly while the other was left naked and unharmed. A strange feeling nagged at the back of his mind.

"Kid, why would you do something like this?"

"I didn't mean to. You startled me and the knife slipped."

"Why were you holding that knife in the first place?"

Kid continued to stare down at his hands. He couldn't answer his dad. He didn't want him to know that he had been considering harming himself on purpose. His hands, there was definitely something wrong, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"What were you going to do with the knife?"

It was there on the tip of his tongue words ready to spill over. He couldn't hold it back. "I thought about it. I thought about cutting my hand on purpose. I felt so empty. I wanted to feel something, even if it was pain." He still couldn't bear to look at his father but he could imagine an expression of disappointment, ashamedness, regret.

"Kid… We can't go on like this."

His hands, what was it about his hands? Oh. One had a bandage and the other didn't. It made him feel… anxious, disgusted, angry. A whole assortment of feelings were bubbling up inside, one of them being relief. "Dad," Kid started seriously. "I need a bandage for my other hand."

His dad walked over in front of him. He took Kid's uninjured hand in his own. "Why? It looks fine."

"No, it's not fine. I'll look like an asymmetrical freak with a bandage on only one hand."

His dad stared at him for a moment then his eyes went wide when he comprehended what his son had said. Suddenly, Kid was pulled into a strong hug, his face buried in his father's chest. "Where have you been?" his dad asked in barely above a whisper.

Kid wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. "It's okay, dad. I'm back now."


	9. Chapter 9: More Questions Than Answers

A/N: I would like to apologize for not posting in over 2 months. I've been occupied with school and my own anxiety issues. I have chapter 10 written so hopefully after a little more editing I will be able to post it in the next couple of days. Thank you all for being patient with me.

Chapter 9: More Questions Than Answers

"_Stay away from the basement." A voice croaked. "If you go near it again you'll regret it."_

Kid woke with a start. He was half-sitting up, leaning back on his elbows. Sun was filtering in through his curtains telling him that it was already mid-morning. He swallowed hard and laid back against his pillows.

He had been home for about a week; it had been three days since the drugs had started to wear off. This is the first he had thought about that strange drug induced nightmare. But now he was starting to doubt it had even been a nightmare in the first place.

Kid grabbed his cell phone from where it had been charging on his nightstand. It was already 10 o'clock in the morning. Ever since he had been given the mysterious meds his sleep schedule had been off. He waited until his phone read 10:01 to get out of bed. "Beautiful." He muttered when he saw the number.

As he went through his morning routine he formulated a plan in the back of his mind. Now that he was out of the hospital he might actually be able to corner his dad and question him about the basement. Luckily, ever since the incident with the kitchen knife his dad had been determined to work from home so he could keep an eye on him. His dream had renewed his determination to solve this mystery, no matter how dangerous the consequences.

Once Kid was ready he went downstairs. His stomach growled as he passed the kitchen but he was too eager to talk to his dad to eat at the moment. When he was about to knock on his dad's office door he was stopped by the sound of slightly raised voices.

"I am not going to send my son back there." His father said in his "scary" voice.

"You said B.J. completed his investigation and told you it was the result of a computer error. It's been fixed. You have to send Kid back there or you'll be in violation of the agreement." That was their lawyer Alan's voice. "Ms. Greene would then be within her rights to press assault charges. Even if nothing came of it legally the press might find out; your name would be dragged through the mud."

"It isn't up for discussion."

The lawyer said something too softly for Kid to hear.

"Don't you dare bring _him_ into this."

"If you're going to consider one, you have to consider the other."

There was a short pregnant pause. Kid felt lost, like he had missed something important.

Then his dad spoke again. "I'll think about it."

"Don't take too long. Her attorney only agreed to a two week grace period to take care of this."

Kid heard footsteps approaching the door and quickly slipped down another hall. He understood that this meant he would most likely be going back to the hospital but it was the other part that he didn't hear that concerned him. Who was this _him_?

"Kid, you're awake."

Kid turned to see his dad looking at him curiously. "Yeah, I've been up for a while."

"Do you want to go out for an early lunch?"

Kid smiled a little. "It's called brunch, dad. Sure."

* * *

Kid felt weird sitting at a nice restaurant after eating in the dining room at the hospital for so long. He imagined having Blackstar sitting across from trying to gobble down plates full of caviar, lobster, and other expensive food items and almost started laughing.

Instead it was his father sitting across from him studying the menu like they were about to be tested on it. His dad looked at least a decade older than he had before the incident. The worry lines on his face were more deeply creased, there was more gray peppered through his hair, even the look in his eyes made him seem older.

A wave of guilt washed over Kid. He felt partly responsible. His resolve in his plan to interrogate his dad wavered.

The waiter stopped by to get their drink order.

"Tea, thank you." His dad said in his usual light voice.

"Just water for me."

After the waiter left his dad looked back down at the menu. "The roast duck looks good."

Kid hummed in agreement as he looked down at his own menu, not really taking in the content. He was trying to come up with a way to segway into his questions about the basement. But he was also trying to figure if he still wanted to at the moment.

They were both quiet for a while only finally being able to start comfortably conversing after they ordered their food. Once their food arrived they fell into a less awkward silence. Kid was sorting his mixed vegetables when his dad asked. "How are you doing?"

"Not good. This cauliflower was not cut evenly. What kind of people do they employ here?"

His dad chuckled and Kid felt the corners of his mouth turn up slightly. It was a nice sound to hear. "No, I mean how are you feeling… after everything?"

"Better. Much better, actually."

"Good." There was a short silence before his dad spoke again. "I was talking to Alan today. He… he says that you need to go back to the hospital. B.J. says that the computer error that messed up the meds has been resolved and you only need to be there for another month or so. I know this isn't ideal but anywhere else I wouldn't be able to watch over your treatment as closely-"

"It's okay, dad. I understand." Kid interrupted.

"I could pressure Alan to find a way around this."

Kid thought for a moment. To be honest he would prefer not to go back there, but outside of the hospital he would have other worries; his investigation into what was going on in the basement might fade into the background. He couldn't risk that. And he missed his friends: Maka, Crona, Liz, Tsubaki, Soul, even Blackstar. At school he didn't have any friends. No one wanted to be friends with the weird OCD kid, even if he was rich. It was a bit sad that his only friends were mental patients, but at least among them he was normal. "It's only one more month."

It was on the way home sitting together in the back of the car that Kid said. "Dad, can I ask you something?"

His dad smiled at him. "Of course."

Kid took a deep breath determining himself. "Do you know what's going on in the basement at the hospital?"

His father visibly stiffened. "What are you talking about?" he asked slowly.

"The hospital told you that my friends and I had left the ward one night. Well, we found the basement and I heard screaming behind the door. Do you know what's going on down there?"

"Yes, I do and its nothing to worry about, Kiddo."

Kid was baffled. "Nothing to worry about? I heard screaming!"

"It's just… a difficult patient."

"The patient is difficult so you have this person isolated. How is that fair? If I become too _difficult_ will you do the same with me, just lock me away in a basement and forget about me?"

His dad turned to him. His face had gone several shades paler and he looked horrified by Kid's suggestion. "No, Kid, I would never do that to you. Never ever. Please just trust me that I know what's best."

"Dad,-"

"Kid, please, let's not talk about this anymore."

The next day his dad was called into work. Kid suspected it was to get away from his probing questions. All the household staff were called in, most likely to keep an eye on him. The maids (to whom it had been emphasized to stay out of Kid's room), the butler, the chef had all been scheduled to work.

They kept asking Kid if he needed anything making it difficult to find a moment to snoop in his dad's office. He needed to find out as much as he could out here before he was back in the hospital again.

He was making his third attempt to approach his dad's office door when he was interrupted by one of the maids. "Mr. Grimm, I wondering if you needed anything?" she asked timidly.

"I don't need anything!" he snapped. All the questions, everyone following him around the house was grating on his nerves. He couldn't take it anymore. "Stop asking me! Stop following me! Just stop!"

She took a step back looking fearful. "I'm sorry!" she said quickly. "Please don't throw things at me!" As soon as the words were out she clapped her hands over her mouth. "I'm sorry," she squeaked again.

Kid's eyes were wide as he stared at her. He felt like he had just been slapped in the face. "N-no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." Who else knew? Did all of the staff know? The incident was supposed to be a private matter.

Kid walked away feeling shaken. Were they all afraid he would lose it and attack them? He no longer had mixed feelings about going back to the hospital, now he just felt relieved.


	10. Chapter 10: One Step Forward

Chapter 10: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

When Kid entered the ward again he was bombarded by the last person who he thought would be excited about him being back. Blackstar had his arms and legs wrapped around him causing Kid to topple over. "You're back!" the younger boy exclaimed in his ear. "Are you yourself again?"

"Get off of me, you idiot!" Kid yelled.

"You're you!" Blackstar continued to cling to him until Tsubaki came over and persuaded Blackstar to let Kid go.

"How are you feeling?" she asked with a worried frown.

"More like myself." Kid told her as he straightened his clothes. "Where is everyone else?"

"They're outside playing basketball."

Blackstar crossed his arms over his chest. "I had my basketball privileges revoked."

An amused smile turned up the corners of Kid's mouth slightly. "What happened?"

Tsubaki shook her head. "You don't want to know."

Blackstar started to explain in the calmest voice Kid had ever heard him speak in. "There was this stray cat and I thought 'what would make this cat better than any other cat?' and I thought that would be if it could fly so I tied it to the ball and-"

Tsubaki held up a hand to cut him off. "You get the idea," she told Kid.

Kid was absolutely horrified. Now he realized why Blackstar was in a mental hospital; the blue haired boy had absolutely no impulse control. That along with his delusions of grandeur made Blackstar the ideal psychiatric patient. "Anyways…" he said trying to segway into a more important topic of discussion. "Could you two follow me? I need to talk with all of you."

Kid sat with everyone on the benches next to the basketball court. Liz had held back her reaction at seeing that Kid had returned, but he suspected she missed him more than she was letting on seeing as she was sitting so close to him she might as well have been in his lap.

"How are you doing, Maka?" Kid asked. She looked better but they had both had a traumatizing experience and he wondered if she was handling it any better than he was.

Maka gave him a small smile. "Better. My dad took me home for a few days too. But I made him check me back in." Her gaze shifted to Crona, who was looking worse than ever. Kid wasn't even sure he was aware of what was going on around him. Crona's eyes were unfocused and he kept flinching at random moments.

Kid glanced around making sure no one was close enough to eavesdrop. "I need to tell you all something. When I was drugged I think someone came into my room in the middle of the night. I heard someone tell me to stay away from the basement and that if I went down there again I'd regret it. I think Maka and I were drugged because we got too close to something."

Maka had grasped Soul's arm in a crushing grip that made him flinch. "Ow. What's with the arm grabbing?"

"I thought that had just been a nightmare," she said in a murmur, then a little louder. "The same thing happened to me."

"That is freaky," Liz commented.

Kid frowned deeply as he announced. "We need to go back down there."

Tsubaki gasped and everyone turned to look at her. "You guys can't do that. I have to alert a member of staff if I hear anything like this."

Blackstar gently grabbed her hand. "If you can't be here… if you can't be involved, you can go. We understand."

She gave them an apologetic smile as she got to her feet. "Be careful," she said in parting.

Kid started tapping his thighs again, eight times on each. He felt a little guilty at putting Tsubaki in such a precarious position. What about the rest of them? He had a place here no matter what but if any of the others cause too many problems they may be kicked out and have to be moved. He turned his attention back to the rest of his friends. "My grandfather founded this hospital. My father now runs it. I feel a responsibility to make sure this place is being run ethically and that all of the patients are being treated with respect. My father is aware of what's going on in the basement but he doesn't seem at all concerned about it. He won't tell me anything and I need to know what's happening for my own peace of mind. I would appreciate your help, but I understand if you can't."

"I'm in!" Blackstar exclaimed. "Can't let Kid hog the spotlight."

"I'm in too." Maka had determination in her eyes.

Liz lightly punched Kid in the arm. "I'm coming too."

Soul smiled in resignation. "Let's do this."

* * *

Kid was tempted to go on their excursion that night but as evening approached he realized that the day's stress had caught up with him. His anxieties got worse and he got trapped in one of his cycles again.

Maka was busy with Crona so it was left to Liz to try and help him. They had learned early on that alerting a nurse only made him feel embarrassed and therefore increased his anxieties.

"Its fine," Liz told him from where she leaned against the wall. "How many times can you check your toilet paper?"

Kid was nearly pulling his hair out. Something was out of place he could feel it deep inside. "You don't understand! If I can't be trusted with toilet paper how can I be trusted to help that patient in the basement?"

Liz rolled her eyes. "There are worse things to worry about in the world than friggin' toilet paper."

Kid made his rounds again checking everything. He stood at the doorway flipping the light switch on and off eight times. "No," he moaned. That was a new one, he'd never done that before. He didn't have time for new compulsions.

Liz walked over and grabbed him by his shoulders. "Take a deep breath," she ordered. "There is nothing wrong. Look around you; everything is fine."

Kid breathed deeply as he looked around. She was right, everything in his room was in order. He racked his brain for the reason for his freak out. Then it hit him like a car hitting a brick wall at sixty miles per hour. Had he folded the toilet paper at home into a triangle like he was supposed to? "Oh, god! I'm such an idiot!" he shouted.

Liz jumped back startled by his outburst. "What? Why?"

"I have to go home. I don't think I folded the toilet paper there." He turned to walk out the door but Liz grabbed his arm, holding him back. "Let go. I have to go home."

"You're not going anywhere. You made this big speech earlier about making the hospital better and now you want to leave. Were you serious about any of it?"

Kid tried to pull his arm away but she had a firm grip on him. "I'll be right back. I just have to check the toilet paper."

Liz looked at him incredulously. "Do you even hear yourself? You want to go all the way back home for some damn toilet paper. Toi-let pa-per!"

She didn't understand. This wasn't something he could control. It felt like all of these compulsions had been programmed into him from the day he was born. He couldn't remember a time he didn't feel like this.

Would Liz keep him there against his will? Panic constricted his chest and made him feel like an elephant was sitting on him. He started pushing at her hand but she wouldn't relent. "If I don't fix it…" he started but paused for a moment before he continued. "Then I should just die! I don't deserve to live if I can't keep things in order!"

Liz suddenly released him causing Kid to stumble back a step. "Then die."

Kid felt like he had been slapped in the face. He had thought Liz was his friend. "Okay," he said thickly.

Liz looked at him with a searching gaze. "Do you really think that's worth dying over?" she asked sincerely.

Kid thought hard for a moment. To him symmetry, order was everything. He nodded. "Yes," he said with all the conviction he could muster.

"Then you're more messed up than I thought," she said with a shake of her head. "When I first saw you I thought you were just some rich kid who was here because of 'exhaustion'. I figured you saw this as a vacation or something. But then I got to know you and I realized that you had some issues. I shouldn't have judged you like that. But this little freak out takes the cake. You think toilet paper is worth dying over."

"This isn't something I can control!" Kid was shaking. He thought she actually cared about him. It was his own fault for thinking that because she also had a mental illness that she would understand his. "I don't choose what I obsess over. I'm sorry for inconveniencing you with the crazy shit going on in my head. I'm sorry that my compulsions aren't as fun as switching personalities for a day!" He hadn't seen it coming but there was suddenly hot stinging in the side of his face.

Liz lowered the hand she had slapped him with and glared at him. "It isn't fun not knowing what I was doing for days at a time. This isn't something I choose to do either. My mom was junkie and a hooker. My Dissociative Identity Disorder comes from years of abuse by her and her 'boyfriends'. My grandma wasn't able to get me until it was too late, the damage had been done. So don't talk about what you don't know!"

Kid felt his whole face go warm from shame. He had just done what he was angry at Liz for doing. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Liz rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm sorry too. I was kind of being an asshole." They stood there awkwardly trying not to meet each other's eyes. "I should go." She turned to leave but then looked back. "We're still friends, right?"

Kid forced a small twitch of his lips that was meant to be a smile. "Yes, Liz, we're still friends," he assured her.

Liz nodded and left the room.

The toilet paper now forgotten Kid decided to get ready for bed. He went through his routine successfully without falling into any cycles of checking and rechecking. Before he went to sleep he went to the light switch and flipped it on and off eight times. "Damnit." he muttered.


	11. Chapter 11: Taking Risks

A/N: Happy Holidays, everyone! Now that finals are over I'm going to be doing my best to update as much as possible in between family/holiday stuff, and preparing for the spring semester of school. As always I much appreciate your reviews and any friendly critiques you can give me.

Chapter 11: Taking Risks

Kid noticed that the next day Liz was avoiding him. He was actually kind of grateful for this. He still wanted to be friends with her but he wasn't sure he was ready to pretend their interaction last night hadn't happened. They had both said some hurtful things. Kid was embarrassed by what he had said. He wondered if she was ashamed too or if she stood by her words. But he wouldn't ask questions he didn't want answers too. No, right now the only answers he was concerned about were the answers to his questions about the basement.

Maka was looking out a window, she didn't turn when Kid approached. "Hey," she said softly when Kid came to stand beside her.

"I think we should go to the basement tonight," he told her in a voice just as soft as hers. Maka nodded but he could tell she seemed off. "What is it?"

She looked around the common area with a lost expression on her face. "Crona just keeps getting worse. He wouldn't get out of bed today. I'm scared for him. If his mom visits again…"

"Maybe I could call our family's attorney and find out what evidence of abuse we'd need to-"

"No," Maka cut him off. "Like I've said he doesn't want to report anything. He doesn't want anyone to know. It all just sucks. What time do you want to go to the basement?"

Kid was a bit disoriented by the sudden subject change but went with it. "One a.m."

"Okay, I'll let the guys know."

"Could you tell Liz too?" he asked reluctantly.

Maka looked a bit confused. "Why?"

"We had a fight, and things are… Please, just tell her."

"You're such a wimp. Fine. I'll tell her."

Kid huffed indignantly but didn't say anything for fear that she would change her mind.

At one in the morning Kid, Maka, Liz, Soul, and Blackstar stood at the door to the ward. Kid pressed in the code. It beeped but the little light stayed red, signaling that it was still locked. "They changed the code," he stated harshly.

Maka looked to Liz. "Do you know what the new code is?"

Liz shook her head. "Not a clue. It's Patty who would know. Nurses don't really watch what they're saying when she's around. They think she's just a clueless kid."

Soul looked unimpressed. "Then just turn into Patty and have her tell us."

"It's not that easy." Kid broke in. "She can't just turn it on and off like a light switch."

"Then we'll just wait."

Liz folded her arms across her chest. "The doctor's changed my medication and it's actually working. I don't know how long it will be before Patty comes back, if she even does."

Everyone could see that Soul was getting irritated. "We'll find another way." Maka placated.

It had been a week. They had tried getting into the nurses' station and the doctors' offices for the code, they had looked at other means of getting out of the ward, and had even talked about just simply taking apart the lock. A viable plan stayed out of their reach.

Thoughts of giving up had started to enter Kid's mind when Liz approached him out in the garden, except it wasn't Liz. Her hair was tied back telling him that it was Patty.

"Patty?" he asked.

"Yep!" She grabbed his face and planted a loud smooch on his forehead.

Kid couldn't help a small smile but still wiped at the invisible mark she left. "What are you doing here? I thought Liz's new medication was working."

Patty frowned. "It was but she stopped taking it."

Kid looked at her in horror. "What! Why would she do that?"

"To help you, silly! She really likes you. She even feels bad for being mean to you, and Liz _never_ feels bad about being mean to people. I think she has a crush on you."

Kid felt his cheeks heat up at her statement. He wanted to yell at Liz for doing something as stupid as not taking her meds but at the same time he was relieved to know that she felt bad about what she had said like he did about what he had said.

"KID AND LIZ SITTIN' IN A TREE!" Patty sang loudly. "K-I-S-S-"

"Patty!" Kid cut her off. He could feel the blush spreading to his ears and down his neck. "Please, do you know what the code is?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Sure do! Why is your face so red?"

He shook his head. "Never mind that. We need to tell the others that we can go tonight."

That night they were able to leave the ward. Crona was able to go with them this time. Maka's mood had lightened as Crona started to do better again. Kid wanted to point out how unhealthy it was for her well-being to be so hinged on Crona's. But he didn't want to be hypocritical; they were both there because they were not exactly model examples of great mental health.

As soon as they exited the ward Kid wished he had told some of them to stay behind. Six teenagers wandering around outside the ward in the middle of the night was not very stealthy.

Kid turned around and stopped them before they went too far. "We can't all be out here," he stated in a whisper. He scanned the group and made a decision. Crona was shaking with nerves, Blackstar had been loudly humming his own theme music since he left his room, and Patty had been attempting to make up lyrics for him. "Crona, Blackstar, Patty, you three need to go back."

"No way!" Blackstar argued. "You recruited me to help. You aren't sending me back all of a sudden."

Kid stepped closer to him trying to look intimidating. "I'm in charge here. My father owns this hospital. If I say you need to go back, then you need to go back."

Blackstar puffed out his chest in response. "Like hell I am!"

"Are they going to fight?" Crona asked shakily as he moved closer to Maka.

"You two dumbasses need to stop being so loud." Maka hissed at them.

Soul stepped between them. "She's right. You need to shut up or we'll get caught out here."

"Too late."

Kid spun around so quickly he was afraid he had given himself whiplash. Stein was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Alright, everyone, field trip is over." Stein started to herd them back toward the ward. "What were you all doing out here anyways? Trying to orchestrate a break out?"

"No." Patty said. "We want to know what's in the basement."

Everyone looked at Patty in horror. "Shut up!" Kid hissed.

"What?" Patty looked innocent as ever. Kid sighed in exasperation.

Stein stopped and looked curiously at each of them. "Why do you want to know what's in the basement?"

"It's nothing." Kid replied quickly.

"If you tell me the reason I might be inclined to find out for you. As long as it will keep all of you out of trouble that is."

Kid glanced at Maka. They had silent conversation. He threw her a look that said _"Can he be trusted?"_

Maka frowned then gave him a look that said _"What could it hurt?"_

"_Probably a lot."_

She glared at him. _"Just do it or don't."_

Kid turned to Stein. He knew they needed an ally with access to the rest of the hospital. The risk might just be worth it. He would be kicking himself it this didn't work out. "I think there might be a patient being kept down there. I'm concerned that he might not be being treated in the most ethical manner."

An unreadable expression came over Stein's face. "Really." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'll look into it."

Two days passed and every time Kid saw Stein he asked if he knew anything. Stein kept telling him "I'll let you know once I know anything."

Kid was getting impatient. He sat on his bed staring at a book but not really reading the words. The urge to reorganize, count, flip the light switch was getting unbearable. Stein had told him to try to distract himself whenever he felt the urge to give in to his compulsions. But whenever he wasn't thinking about his compulsions he was thinking about the basement.

The door to his room suddenly flew open and Kid started at the intrusion. Maka came in and slammed the door behind her. She paced furiously around the room.

"Yes, come in. I'm doing fine, thanks. How are you?" Kid said sarcastically.

"That bitch!" Maka exclaimed. "Crona was doing better and then she just comes in here to undue it all!"

Kid closed his book and got to his feet. His demeanor turned serious. "Maka,-"

"I tried to go check on him but she wouldn't open the door."

"This is getting serious, Maka. I think we should get a nurse."

Maka breathed deeply. She looked on the verge of tears, but Kid knew she wouldn't cry in front of him if she could help it. "Yeah. I can't keep letting her hurt him."

The two of them got Nurse Thalia and told her as concisely as possible of their concerns about Crona. They waited outside of the room when she went in. Harsh voices came through the door but they couldn't make out the words.

Nurse Thalia came out minutes later. "You two need to go back to your rooms," she told them in a strange voice.

"Why?" Maka asked urgently. "What happened?"

"I need to deal with something. Go back to your rooms."

At the sound of the harshness in her voice Kid and Maka left. They went to Maka's room so they could watch the parking lot. They waited to see security drag Crona's mother out but there was no sign of that happening.

They turned around at the sound of the door opening. Soul stood there looking more than a little pissed off. "They sent all the patients to our rooms," he announced. "I was just about to beat Blackstar at basketball."

Kid frowned in confusion. "I thought he was banned after the thing with the cat."

"Tsubaki got it lifted. She's too much of a softie."

"Do you know what's going on?" Maka asked.

Soul shook his head. "No, but it's serious. The nurses and orderlies all looked really freaked out."

The three of them waited impatiently for some information about what was happening. "What if they're keeping Medusa here because they called the police?" Maka speculated hopefully after a few minutes.

Kid nodded. "That is a possibility."

A few more minutes passed with Maka getting more restless with each passing second. She was pacing around the room which was irritating Soul. Kid kept his hands shoved in his pockets trying to keep himself from acting on his compulsions. If he touched Maka's stuff that would only make everything worse.

"I can't wait anymore!" Maka finally blurted out. She stormed to the door but just as she went to open it someone else opened it first from the outside.

Blackstar stood there looking very pale. "They fired Stein," he announced.


	12. Chapter 12: What Was Left Behind

Chapter 12: What Was Left Behind

"He wasn't fired," Tsubaki quietly reassured Kid, Maka, Blackstar, and Soul. "He was suspended, pending an investigation."

"What happened?" Maka asked. "What are they investigating?"

Tsubaki glanced around making sure no one would hear them. Things had gone somewhat back to normal after the upset earlier. Patients came out of their rooms and went back to hanging out in the common area, which is where they had found Tsubaki.

"There have been some allegations against him," Tsubaki told them in barely above a whisper. "They're saying that he was the one who drugged you and Kid."

"Who would say that?" Blackstar demanded.

"Ms. Grant, Crona's mother. She claims that he has been psychologically abusing Crona and for some reason told Crona about drugging Kid and Maka."

Maka clenched her fists. "Can't they see this is all a manipulation," she hissed. "She's trying to throw attention off of herself."

"They have to investigate any allegations this serious."

"I have to go talk to Crona. Find out his side of all of this."

Kid felt his stomach twist itself into a knot. He thought it was all a bit too suspicious that Stein was suspended right after he had offered to find out about the basement for them. He wondered if Medusa knew anything about the basement and if so how she was involved. Kid decided that he would keep his suspicions to himself for now. He doubted that Maka would appreciate him bringing up the basement mystery again when she was so worried about Crona.

Maka later told them that Crona told her he never said such things about Stein and that the doctor had actually been helping him greatly. When she tried to probe him further about why his mom would tell those lies about Stein he shut down. He only told her that Ragnarok told him to shut up.

A new doctor was quickly hired and only a day later she arrived. She introduced herself in group therapy. "Hello, everyone, you can call me Dr. Marie or Ms. Marie, whichever you are comfortable with. I know it's been difficult having several different doctors in such a short span of time. So I think that would be a good starting place today. Who would like to begin?"

Kid leaned over to whisper to Maka while the discussion started. "I think Crona's mom might have accused Stein because he was investigating the basement."

"Crona didn't say she knew anything about the basement and besides, _how_ would she know anything about it?" Maka whispered back.

"I don't know yet. Either way we need to check out Stein's office. We need to know if he found anything before his untimely suspension."

Maka looked thoughtful. "But its Ms. Marie's office now, how are we going to look for any clues if she's in it or it's locked."

He tapped on his thighs as he thought deeply. "We'll have to come up with a plan."

"Thank you, captain obvious." She gave a small smile, softening the blow of the sarcastic comment.

With each passing day Kid felt his time to solve the mystery of the basement slipping away. He had about two weeks left before his time was up. His gaze kept drifting to the calendar that sat on his desk as he tried to focus on his independent study for school. He had been ignoring it in favor of focusing his energies on the basement but as his discharge date grew closer it seemed everything was becoming more urgent.

A knock sounded at his door. "Come in," he called.

He turned around. Maka and Crona entered the room. "He has a plan." Maka announced with a proud smile. Crona rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Tell him, Crona."

Kid stood and looked at the pink haired boy expectantly. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but seeing how excited Maka was gave him high expectations.

Crona cocked his head as if he was listening to someone in the empty space beside him talking. He glanced over at Maka. "Maybe it's not such a good idea. I mean I'm not very good at coming up with sneaky plans. I wouldn't be able to handle it if I got you two in trouble."

Kid tried to give him an encouraging smile. "Why don't you just tell me the plan and let me worry about whether or not it is viable."

"Okay." Crona nodded. "Ms. Marie keeps asking me to talk about Stein but I've been telling her that there's nothing to talk about. So I was thinking that maybe I could draw her away from her office saying that I would only feel comfortable talking about it in my room. Maybe that would give you two time to look through the office. But I don't know…"

"That's actually a pretty good idea."

A blush crept up Crona's cheeks at Kid's words of praise. Maka put a hand on his shoulder. "See?" she said. "I told you it was a good idea."

Kid and Maka looked around the corner watching Crona approach the office. He went in and then exited two minutes later with Ms. Marie in tow. He pulled her along before she could lock the door.

Maka quickly approached the office while Kid glanced around to make sure no one saw them. Once they were inside they started their investigation.

The office was a strange conglomeration of Stein's and Ms. Marie's things. Ms. Marie was obviously still tentative about moving in, unsure that it would be permanent. Half of each of their respective things were in boxes. The desk was covered in mostly Stein's things; Ms. Marie had cleared about a quarter of it for herself.

The chaos of it all gave Kid a headache. As if reading his mind Maka spoke up. "Just ignore the disorganization and focus on the task at hand. We need to find any clues that Stein found out about the basement."

Kid took a deep breath. "Right," he agreed with determination.

They started going through Stein's files and notes, skimming them for anything referring to the basement. "This is so illegal." Maka mumbled. The corners of Kid's mouth turned up in a wry smile.

The minutes ticked by and Kid wondered how much longer they had before Ms. Marie returned. Everything depended on Crona being able to distract her.

Kid flicked through the patient files. He didn't read them feeling wrong about invading other patient's privacy. He only looked to see if any notes had been stuck between them. Then Kid came across his own file. He swallowed hard and opened it tentatively.

_Diagnosis: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder_ That wasn't surprising in the least. He skimmed over the notes. Most of it was stuff he already knew about himself and his disorder. He scoffed at the notes about him self-harming. Apparently they still refused to believe it was accidental.

He stopped when he saw a sticky note with messy writing on it. It looked like Stein had jotted it down quickly. _Look up patient # 02384 in records room for Kid._

Kid grinned as he took the note and shoved it in his pocket. He put his file back as he told Maka. "I found something. We need to go."

Maka looked up from the box she was looking through. "What did you find?"

His gaze moved around the room, dizzying him with all of the mismatched and out of place things. "I'll tell you once we get out of here."

Maka went to alert Crona that his job was done. She knocked on his door in the special agreed up pattern. Meanwhile Kid rounded up the rest of their group for an update.

Kid sat outside with Maka, Soul, Blackstar, Crona, and Liz. He pulled the note out of his pocket and looked down at it. He held it so tightly he started to crinkle the edge of the paper. This was his only lead, his only hope. "We need to find a way into the records room," he told them in a low voice. "Dr. Stein wrote down a patient number and a note that he intended to look up this patient in the records room."

"This patient must be from a while ago if he would have to look up hard copies." Liz mused.

"Could they have an older patient down there?" Kid asked not really expecting an answer.

"Tsubaki might be able to get us into the records room." Blackstar offered.

"I thought she didn't want to be involved."

Blackstar tapped his chin with his finger. "Yeah, but she wouldn't have to stay. All she would need to do is get us in and leave. That way she wouldn't get in any trouble."

Kid nodded. "Okay. Let's ask her if she could get me in there."

"No way!" Blackstar exclaimed jumping to his feet. "This one is all me!"

Kid jumped up too. "Blackstar, you would make such a commotion someone would find you before you even got in the door."

The younger boy looked offended. "I'll show you! I can do this. I can be sneaky, like an assassin!"

"Shut up." Soul said as he yanked Blackstar back down so he was sitting. "Unless you want everyone to know about our plans."

Kid sat down again. This was going against all of his better judgment but he knew Blackstar would not let this go. "Fine. But you have to get Tsubaki to go with you… the whole time. She can't just let you in and leave you to your own devices."

Blackstar shook his head. "But then Tsubaki would be involved."

"Those are my conditions." Kid knew it was harsh but he just couldn't trust Blackstar to handle this alone.

Blackstar thought for a moment then suddenly perked up. "Okay. I'll ask her. She's my sidekick, she'll probably be up for an adventure."


	13. Chapter 13: No Going Back

Chapter 13: No Going Back

It took some convincing but Tsubaki reluctantly agreed to take Blackstar to the records room. She had to steal a key as it was one of the few rooms that hadn't been switched over to a code lock. Blackstar was proud of her sneakiness. He knew he made a good choice in making her his sidekick.

It was quite a feat getting Blackstar out of the ward since this was not a night mission. After their third attempt Tsubaki offered to go get the information herself. Blackstar outright refused to let her get all the glory.

When they finally got him out it was already dinner time. Tsubaki looked at the time on her cell phone. "I'm supposed to sign out in half an hour," she said nervously as they made their way to the records room.

Blackstar nodded in acknowledgment of her time limit. "Then we have half an hour to get this done," he said firmly.

Tsubaki was surprised by how serious the younger boy took their mission. This was the first time she had seen him so calm. She had expected him to be bouncing off the walls in excitement. "Why is it so important that you do this yourself?" she asked curiously. "Why not let me or Kid do this?"

"I need to prove to Kid- to everyone that I'm not some crazy kid who doesn't take anything seriously. I can do this."

Tsubaki wondered what it was that was motivating Blackstar. What made him so obsessed with "surpassing God." She reached out and gently squeezed his hand. I have no doubt that you're going to show everyone you can do anything."

Blackstar grinned. "I think I'll keep you," he said as he squeezed her hand back.

The records room smelled faintly of dust and mildew. It was apparent that almost no one went in there. All the records were digitally recorded making the hard copies obsolete. "Well, I doubt anyone will be interrupting us," Tsubaki said with a crooked smile.

Blackstar nodded seriously, all business. "The patient number is…" He looked at the number Kid had written down for him. "Zero, two, three, eight, four," he read off.

Tsubaki examined the labels on the cabinets. They were organized numerically but she couldn't find anything with a first number before one. "None of these begin with zero," she said with an edge of frustration.

Blackstar's expression drooped for a moment, but he didn't stay that way for long. "It might be hidden!" he exclaimed with a renewed determination. "They keep this patient away from everyone for a reason. So they would probably hide his file!"

"But where would they hide it?"

"I don't know, so we better get started." Blackstar pulled open one of the heavy drawers filled to the brim with beige file folders. Tsubaki did the same starting at the other end of the room.

Tsubaki kept glancing at her watch as they searched. She was down to two minutes before she needed to sign out and was about to tell Blackstar that they needed to leave when she heard him shout. "Yahoo! I found it!" He came running over and held up a thick file that was overflowing with paper. On the tab "02384" was written in faded black ink.

"Where was it?"

"It was jammed beneath the bottom drawer of one of the file cabinets. But it was no match for the great Blackstar!"

There was suddenly a strange clicking noise and Tsubaki shoved Blackstar behind a cabinet. The door opened and Nurse Eruka entered the room. "What are you doing here?" she croaked indignantly.

Tsubaki swallowed hard. "I was just- I- uh…"

"Never mind your reason. You are not supposed to be in here!"

"I know. I was just leaving." Tsubaki went to step around the nurse but Eruka moved in front of her.

"You are fired Tsubaki. It's illegal for volunteers to have access to patient files. You'll be lucky if we don't press charges. Give me your volunteer badge." She held out her hand expectantly. Eruka looked down to check her phone while waiting for the badge. Tsubaki knew that Blackstar was most likely ready to jump out and defend her. She glanced behind her and shook her head at the younger boy. Then turned back just as Eruka looked up again. "Well?"

Tsubaki unclipped her badge from the bottom of her shirt and placed it in the nurse's waiting hand. Eruka grabbed her arm in an unforgiving grip. Tsubaki had half a mind to pull away but stopped herself. If Blackstar saw her struggling he would jump out to help her.

* * *

After Nurse Eruka and Tsubaki were gone Blackstar straightened from his crouching position. He was shaking with rage. How dare they take Tsubaki from him? And he didn't do a damn thing to help her. "Useless!" he yelled in self-disgust as he aimed a kick at the closest cabinet.

Blackstar shoved the file under his shirt and left the room to make his way back to the ward. _What is wrong with you? Why didn't you protect Tsubaki?_

Blackstar only allowed himself a minute of self-pity. Then he changed his thoughts. He balled up his fists and broke into a run, not caring if he attracted attention. _You'll get her back! Get the file to Kid, then you can focus on getting Tsubaki back._

He slowed as he approached the ward. He quietly entered and went to Kid's room. Kid and Maka were there waiting for him. He threw the file on the bed. Half of the paper spilled out and scattered across its surface. "Here!"

Kid immediately moved to straighten the contents of the file. Maka approached Blackstar. "What happened? Where's Tsubaki?"

"She got fired." Blackstar said shakily. He turned his attention to Kid. "Because you made her go with me! You could have trusted me to do it on my own, but, no, you got her involved!"

Kid bristled at the accusation, but after a deep breath he said in an annoyingly calm voice. "I will make sure she gets her volunteer position back."

"You think that makes up for it?" Blackstar asked incredulously.

"I'm sorry. I admit that this was technically my fault."

"Technically?" Blackstar shook his head. "You don't get it! She's my best friend! She's the only person who doesn't act like it's a burden to be around me."

"I…" Kid looked at a loss.

"Forget it," Blackstar said suddenly deflated. "You got your file. Tell me if it was worth getting Tsubaki fired." His words were sincere and pushed Kid to start flipping through the file.

"What is this?" Kid muttered after a few moments.

Maka walked over and started reading over his shoulder. "What does all of this mean?"

"I don't know."

Blackstar's curiosity got the better of him and he walked over to look at the file too. It was in English. He knew that much but the words made no sense. "Tsubaki got fired for this bullshit?"

Kid shook his head. "I think it's in code."

"Are we going to have to break a code now?"

"No," Kid sighed deeply. He looked exhausted and Blackstar felt the tiniest twinge of guilt for yelling at the older boy. "We have to go back to the basement and find out once and for all what the hell is going on."

* * *

As Kid planned what he was certain was going to be the last descent into the basement. He made a decision that no one else would get hurt because of him. Stein and Tsubaki had been fired, Maka had been drugged, Liz had set back her treatment; this had to end. He would make this trip alone.

He waited a couple of hours more for the nurse's shift change. When Nurse Thalia exited the ward Kid followed her. Nurse Thalia was the only person he knew had access to the basement making her his best shot.

The closer he got to the basement the more uneasy he became. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He was being followed.

He whipped around quickly hoping to catch whoever it was off guard. Maka and Crona were peeking around a corner watching him.

"What are you doing here?" Kid hissed.

Maka shook her head as she walked toward him. "Did you really think I would let you do this alone?"

Kid felt a small bit of warmth at her concern for him but he frowned in confusion at seeing Crona. "And why did you come?"

Crona was staring at the ground and looked up for a moment to reply simply. "You're my friend. I wanted to help."

Kid wanted to just be happy that his friends cared about him but he just felt a sinking feeling that he didn't want them to get hurt.

"We should go before we lose her." Maka pointed out.

They only had to follow her down a couple more hallways before Nurse Thalia entered the first door to the mysterious basement. They waited a few seconds for her to have descended the stairs. Kid led the way as he went through the door. He slowly walked down the stairs, trying to be as silent as possible.

A part of Kid regretted ever starting this investigation. It had done nothing but hurt people. He wished he had just taken his time there to focus on coping with his own issues. Instead he had in essence opened Pandora's Box and there was no going back.

He got to the bottom of the stairs just as Nurse Thalia opened the second door. Kid had to rush forward before the door swung shut. He had a mini heart attack when he thought he wouldn't make it, but he barely caught the handle just in time.

Kid waited a beat before slipping inside after her. He belatedly remembered Maka and Crona but the door had already closed behind him.

He was inside another small room. It was white and sterile. A first aid station took up most of the room. Cabinets that Kid assumed were full of supplies lined one wall. Another door with another lock was on the wall to his left.

The door on his left suddenly opened making Kid jump. His dad entered the room accompanied by Nurse Thalia. They all stood in stunned silence for a moment. Kid's heart had dropped into his stomach. Anger and frustration flared in his chest.

"Kid," his dad said with a hint of surprise. He turned to the nurse. "Thalia, if you could give us a minute."

"Of course." She gave Kid a look of exasperation and went back into the room they had just left.

"Dad, tell me what is going on." Kid demanded "I can't take this anymore."

His dad nodded. "Alright, Kid. I can't promise you that you will be satisfied with the answer but I think keeping it from you will just hurt you more at this point. I just need to ask you one question. Are sure that you want to know? Once I tell you that's it. You can never un- know what I am about to tell you."

An odd lump settled in Kid's throat. A moment ago his answer would most assuredly have been "yes". But the heaviness in his dad's voice made Kid second guess himself. He honestly did not know if he really wanted to know. But he had come too far, devoted too much time for it all to be for naught. "Dad, I need to know."


	14. Chapter 14: What Makes Us

Chapter 14: What Makes Us

"_Dad, tell me what is going on." Kid demanded "I can't take this anymore."_

_His dad nodded. "Alright, Kid. I can't promise you that you will be satisfied with the answer but I think keeping it from you will just hurt you more at this point. I just need to ask you one question. Are sure that you want to know? Once I tell you that's it. You can never un- know what I am about to tell you."_

_An odd lump settled in Kid's throat. A moment ago his answer would most assuredly have been "yes". But the heaviness in his dad's voice made Kid second guess himself. He honestly did not know if he really wanted to know. But he had come too far, devoted too much time for it all to be for naught. "Dad, I need to know."_

* * *

"Your mother and I had a son before you. His name is Asura. He was… different. Asura was always afraid of everything. We had to homeschool him off and on because of his anxieties. He would have these terrible, terrible panic attacks. We did everything we could to accommodate him. But as he got older it got worse. His fears turned into paranoia. He began to believe everyone was out to get him.

"Your mother and I never planned on having more children. We had our hands full with Asura. Then your mother told me she was pregnant with you and we were overjoyed. But when we told Asura he- he became more distant than usual. We tried to talk to him about it but nothing would bring him around.

"Then you were born. I looked at you and I saw so much of myself in you, even now… Anyways, I noticed the way Asura looked at you and talked about you. He would say horrible things. I can't even repeat them now. We put your crib in our room and would lock the door at night. I was afraid he would hurt you. We didn't know what to do.

"When you were two your mother had become ill. I took a leave of absence from work to take care of her, Asura, and you. I was spread so thin and I was afraid to ask for help. No one would understand how to deal with Asura.

"One day you were playing by yourself, sorting your blocks by color, so I went to check on your mother. When I came back Asura was standing over you holding a bat. He was about to hit you and I grabbed the bat out of his hands just in time. I grabbed him and yelled and screamed at him. I was- I was so angry with him, with myself. It was horrible. The whole thing haunts me to this day.

"After that I had him admitted to this hospital. It was all kept very quiet. But, Kid, I assure you that Asura is very well cared for. I would never let any child of mine be mistreated. The screaming you heard was most likely Asura having one of his fits. You see, his condition progressed to the point that he is practically comatose most of the time but he has moments where he has these screaming fits. I have specialists doing everything they can for him."

Kid felt like his head was spinning. There were tears running down both of their faces by the end of his dad's explanation. "I have a brother." Kid stated softly. He started tapping on his thighs. _One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight._ "Can I see him?"

His dad looked conflicted. "I don't know, Kiddo. This is a lot for you to process. Maybe we should wait on that."

"I need to see my brother." Kid's voice was steady and firm. Nothing his dad said would sway him.

Without another word his dad led him through the door. The next room was also white. It had a bed and a chair. There was also another door that Kid assumed led to a bathroom. On the bed a man was curled up. He was staring straight ahead with unfocused eyes. Nurse Thalia was sitting in the chair reading to him.

Kid swallowed hard. The man was his brother. He saw the white streaked through Asura's hair and Kid subconsciously reached up to touch the white stripes in his own hair. The resemblance he saw caused a chill to run down Kid's spine. His dad put an arm around his shoulders and he leaned into the comforting gesture.

He didn't know what to do or say. He wasn't even sure if he said anything that Asura would hear him. He watched looking for some spark of hatred to tell him that Asura recognized him. But his face remained blank.

Kid took a moment to reflect on what his dad had told him. What could have caused Asura to hate him enough to try to kill him? He wondered if he hadn't been born if Asura still would have ended up here. If Asura had that kind of madness inside him did that mean Kid had that potential also? All of these questions and thoughts swirled around Kid's brain making him a little overwhelmed. He hadn't even realized he had started tapping again. _…four, five, six, seven, eight._

His dad caught the movement and decided it was time to leave. He led him out of the room saying "We can do this another time."

When they had left the room Kid immediately turned to his dad. "Will I end up like him?" he asked in a small voice.

His dad put his hands on Kid's shoulders. "No," he said firmly. "Your conditions are completely different."

Kid felt like he would need about a month to process everything he had learned about his brother, about himself.

They left the second room and outside the door Maka and Crona were sitting on the bottom step of the stairs. Crona looked up with tearstains on his face and fresh tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said in a choked voice.

Kid looked to Maka for some explanation. "What's going on?"

Maka looked back at Crona. "You need to tell him what you told me," she said in a firm but kind voice.

"I didn't know the full story until recently," he said slowly. "Medusa put me here because she wanted me to find Asura."

"How do you know about him?" Kid's dad asked curiously.

"Medusa told me that her sister was in a relationship with Asura when they were young. Her sister wasn't well and they fed off of each other's mental illness. They- they made a suicide pact. Her sister went through with it but Asura didn't and he disappeared before Medusa even knew what had really happened.

"She investigated and eventually found evidence that he was here. So she planted me and Eruka here to find him. I think she might want to kill him.

"Medusa will stop at nothing to get revenge. She even hurt Sid because he started to realize that she doesn't really treat me all that well. If he had started an investigation into her that would have interfered with her plan. And she got Stein suspended because he was looking into what was going on in the basement.

"I'm sorry, everyone, I should have said something sooner. This is- this is my fault." Crona suddenly flinched away from some unseen movement. "Stop it, Ragnarok!" he shouted making everyone jump. "Sorry… He's angry that I told all of you."

Kid's dad suddenly took a step toward Crona. Crona shrunk away from his intimidating form. Then he crouched to meet the small boy's eyes and he smiled. "Thank you for telling us." He patted Crona's pink hair in gratitude. "Don't worry. I will take care of everything."

* * *

When Kid woke the next morning it took him a moment to remember everything that had happened the previous night. He was still reeling from all he had learned about his brother.

Kid rubbed his hands over his face. He still wasn't sure if knowing all of it was what he wanted. A part of him wished he hadn't pushed it, but discovering what Medusa was trying to do was for the best.

As he went through his routine he thought hard about Asura and about his dad, and even a little bit about his mom. He never knew his mother. His dad told him what he could about her. But Kid never knew her as his mom. She had died before he had experiences with her he could remember. Asura had had those experiences though. Kid briefly wondered if one day he would have the opportunity to ask him about it. Then he recalled what his dad told him about Asura's condition. It was unlikely Asura would ever be lucid long enough to have that conversation.

Later when Kid sat down to breakfast he looked at his friends and smiled remembering their encounter the night before.

_They entered the ward escorted by Kid's dad to find Soul, Liz, and Blackstar waiting in the common area. "What the hell!" the three of them exclaimed in unison. Kid wondered if they had practiced that. _

"_Why did you run off like that without telling me?" Soul demanded of Maka._

"_I don't have to answer to you, Soul!" Maka replied defiantly._

"_It's not cool to leave and let me worry like that."_

_Maka's defiant expression faltered. "Sorry," she said begrudgingly._

"_You okay?" Liz asked Kid. Her gaze flickered from Kid to his dad._

"_Yeah. We worked out everything. It's all going to be okay."_

"_No it's not!" Blackstar exclaimed. "One, you guys went and finished our mission without me and two, Tsubaki is still fired."_

_Kid's dad stepped in. "I will have our faithful volunteer rehired first thing tomorrow. No need to fret, Blackstar." He finished his statement with a wink._

_Blackstar grinned. "Thanks, Mr. Kid's dad!"_

"_No problem! I believe my work here is done. You kids should get to bed. It's already late."_

_After Kid's dad left the three friends who had been left out of the adventure turned to Kid. "So what was in the basement?" Blackstar asked wasting no time._

_Kid started to force a yawn but it turned into a real one. "Can't it wait until morning?"_

"_NO!" they said in unison again. _

_He sighed and briefly explained what had happened down in the basement. Crona subtly moved closer to Maka when they got to his part in it all._

"_So it was just your brother the whole time?" Soul summed up in an unimpressed voice. _

"_Yeah, well, when you say it like that you make it sound like I blew everything out of proportion." Kid said with a frustrated sigh._

_Everyone looked at each other and started to laugh tiredly. Kid joined in a moment later, he wasn't sure if it was the stress or exhaustion but it felt kind of good to let it all out this way. It was either laugh or cry or maybe scream. Laughing seemed like the better option. Crona was the only one not laughing but he smiled a little though it looked forced._

_When the laughing subsided they all decided to go to bed. Kid stopped Crona and said quietly. "Don't worry. My dad will make sure your mother pays for everything she did."_

_Crona didn't look convinced. "You don't understand. She has ways of getting what she wants, no matter what. She always wins in the end." He looked away as he scrubbed at his eyes. _

"_My dad knows what he's doing, Crona." Kid attempted to reassure him._

"_I hope your right."_

_Maka came over and gently took Crona's arm. "We should go to bed." As they walked away she reached out and gave Kid's hand a quick squeeze._

Kid saw the dark shadows under Crona's eyes and figured he probably didn't get much sleep worrying about what would happen with Medusa. He hoped he would prove Crona wrong and show him that Medusa wasn't as powerful as he thought.

It was early afternoon when they started to see the fulfillment of the promises Kid's dad had made the previous night. Tsubaki returned and Blackstar made a huge scene in the common area. He gave her a huge hug and then leapt up on one of the tables. "Let's give a round of applause for my sidekick, partner, and our most awesomest volunteer, Tsubaki the Great."

Everyone within earshot started to clap causing Tsubaki to blush. "Blackstar, get down from there before you get in trouble," she admonished with a smile. Blackstar leapt down and pulled her into another hug.

It was during lunch they saw the next one. Ms. Marie came into the dining room and asked to speak with Crona in her office. They all waited in suspense for Crona's return which did not happen until two hours later.

They all gathered in Maka's room for Crona to tell them what had happened.

"My mom was arrested," he told them. His eyes were puffy and red from crying. It seemed a mixture of emotions were fighting for domination of his expressions. The sides of his mouth would start to turn up in a smile but then he would suddenly frown. "Sid had recovered enough to give evidence of her… uh… abusing me." Crona seemed to have a hard time getting the word out. "They also questioned Eruka again about Kid and Maka getting drugged. Her story was so inconsistent that she eventually confessed to everything. She told them about Medusa's plan. I guess…I guess it's over."

Maka pulled Crona into a tight hug. Blackstar joined in after a moment and then started to pull everyone in for a group hug. He seemed to still be riding a high from getting Tsubaki back.

Kid left the room during the commotion and ended up outside in the garden. He sat down on the bench and took several deep breaths to clear his head. Now that it was all over he was trying to figure out what came next. He would be going home soon, for good. It would be back to going to school every weekday and going to fancy black tie affairs with his dad on the weekends. Maybe go on that vacation his dad had been talking about. Why did all of that seem scarier than what had happened at the hospital?

Kid thought back to his life before being in the hospital. He had never realized how lonely he had been before. Other students didn't talk to him at school. At any business events for his dad people only talked to him out obligation. He thought about the friends he had made since coming there: Liz, Blackstar, Tsubaki, Soul, Crona,…

"Maka." She sat down next to him on the bench and turned her face up to sky as she took a deep breath. Kid smiled at her. He had never seen her so content.

"I saw you leave," she said as she turned to him.

"I just needed some air."

"I know that look," she said knowingly. "Whenever I have that look my dad buys me ice cream to cheer me up."

Kid shook his head. "I was just thinking about that I will be leaving soon."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes," he said automatically, then after a moment of thought he amended. "No. I don't know."

Maka linked her arm with his. "What's going on?"

"I'm just realizing how much I didn't like my life before coming here. Everything was such an obstacle. Everything had to be perfect and it was my job to make it that way."

"And now?"

"After meeting all of you, I'm realizing that it's okay if some things aren't perfect, because none of my friends are perfect and yet you are the best people I know. I still love symmetry and I still have OCD but it seems a little more manageable. And I'm afraid my life will go back to how it was before I came here."

"It won't," Maka said in the most confident voice he had ever heard come from her.

Kid looked at her with doubt in his eyes. "How do you know that?"

"Cause you will still have us, you idiot. You're still going to visit us and I know once I get out of here we are going to hang out." Maka became a little more serious as she continued. "If there's one thing I learned in here, it's the importance of a support system. We are yours and none of us are going to leave you hanging."

Kid let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Thanks, Maka."

"Any time."

Kid felt a comforting warmth thinking about that he wouldn't have to be lonely anymore. He had always thought he got along fine before without having any friends, but he had only been just keeping his head above water. Now, he was doing so much better. Knowing that he didn't have to do it all alone anymore took away a heavy burden he hadn't realized was there.

Maybe he could do this.


	15. Chapter 15: Defining Perfection

A/N: This is the final chapter, everyone. I just want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story to the end. I appreciate all of the reviews I have gotten. It has been a fun journey writing this story. I am planning on writing a sequel one shot or more to this story, but I do not know how soon that will happen. As always I appreciate any feedback you can give me.

Chapter 15: Defining Perfection

A discreet, black car pulled up in front of a pristine, modern building. The shrubbery out front was well cared for and the fountain that sat at the exact center of the walkway was clean of any debris. From outside no one would guess it was a mental hospital were it not for the large sign declaring it to be so.

Once the car was parked and the engine turned off the driver got out and went around to open the back passenger side door. Kid exited the car trying to take deep calming breaths. He remembered the first time he visited two weeks after he had been released he had been apprehensive. A part of him had been worried they wouldn't let him back out. Then once he had actually seen his friends all his worries had melted away.

This was now his third time visiting and there was no anxiety about whether or not he would be allowed to leave. He was just excited to see his friends. He wanted to tell them about school and about the woman at the charity banquet last week who had gotten so drunk she yelled at an ice sculpture for having an affair with her husband. He just missed his friends. The mental hospital had faded into the background for him, now it was just the place some of his friends happened to be at.

Maka had been released within a few days of Kid, but she visited Crona often. Soul had been released only last week but he would be coming back for outpatient care. Liz had told him she would also be getting out soon. Kid was hopeful for her, she told him that she was making a lot of progress.

Kid was getting his visitor's pass when he saw Maka come through the front doors. "Kid!" she exclaimed as she ran over and gave him a hug. "How have you been?"

"I've been doing very well. How about you?"

"I have good days and bad days but they've been mostly good."

There was this odd weighted silence between them. Kid could tell that Maka wanted to ask or tell him something. He waited for her to speak but it felt like he would wait an eternity.

Finally she took a deep breath. "Kid, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to-"

"Hey, Maka." Soul approached them calmer than he had ever been before. "Oh, hi, Kid. What are you guys doing here?"

"We're just visiting," Maka said quickly. A blush had appeared on her cheeks and she took a step away from Kid as if she was suddenly self-conscience about how close they were standing.

"I was here for anger management stuff but I could visit too."

As they started their trek to the adolescent ward Kid could see that the blush had faded from Maka's cheeks. He wondered what she had been about to ask him. It had seemed rather important.

They reached the ward and Kid pushed it to the back of his mind. Their group of friends gathered in the common area and they chatted about anything and everything. Tsubaki came and went but they made sure to keep her involved.

Kid was surprised by how much Crona had improved. The pink haired boy was much more vocal in conversation. He looked like he was getting enough sleep and food. What seemed the most noticeable to Kid was that he was smiling more.

Tsubaki came back over to their group after she went to talk to a nurse. "Come on, Blackstar. It's time to go."

Blackstar jumped up. "Just let me go change."

Kid looked between them in confusion. "Where are you going?"

Blackstar was grinning from ear to ear. "I get to go on field trips now. As long as I'm accompanied by Tsubaki," he bragged.

"We're going to go to the park, then lunch, and then we're going to try the library," Tsubaki explained.

"That's great." Kid said. He was definitely surprised but more than that he was happy for the younger boy.

Blackstar ran off to change but was back in a flash. He waved to them as a nurse unlocked the door for them. "See you guys later!"

As the door shut Soul commented. "They should really warn the town before releasing Blackstar on them."

They all chuckled at that before moving the conversation on. "We should play a game." Soul suggested.

"Alright, I'll pick one," Liz announced. "Kid, come help me." Before he could reply she pulled him to his feet and dragged him over to the stack of board games.

Kid started to examine their options. He noticed that the collection had grown somewhat. "Well, Monopoly will take too long…"

"Two weeks."

Kid looked up. "What? I don't think it would take that long."

"No, I'm being discharged in two weeks."

"That's wonderful." Liz was smiling brightly and Kid couldn't help but smile back.

"My grandma is ecstatic. She's planning this special dinner and everything. I actually had to tell her to dial it back." There was annoyance in Liz's voice but Kid could tell that underneath that was happiness and relief. "She wanted to know if I had any friends I wanted to invite. So do you want to come over for dinner in two weeks?"

Kid was a bit surprised by the invitation. He didn't think they were that close, but apparently she thought they were. "Yes, of course."

Liz nodded, looking satisfied with his answer. "Good."

She grabbed one of the games and they went back over to their friends. Maka was hugging Crona tightly while Soul sat back with a wide smile on his face.

Kid felt like he had missed something. "What's going on?"

"Crona is getting out of here." Soul informed them.

When Maka released him there was a bright red blush on Crona's face. "I still have about a month to go and even that is just an estimate as long as I keep making progress."

Maka was smiling but it suddenly turned down into a frown. "Wait. Where will you go?"

"Well, uh… since she's no longer my doctor Ms. Marie wanted to adopt me. The process is going to take a while but I get to move in with her once I get discharged."

Everyone was a bit lighter after that announcement. Kid couldn't stop smiling. Knowing that all of his friends were going to be just fine was a great relief.

Visiting hours ended all too quickly Soul, Maka, and Kid said their goodbyes and made their way to the lobby. They all signed out and Soul ran out to meet his ride. Maka was about to go out to her dad when Kid put a hand on her shoulder. She gave him a questioning look. "What is it?"

"Earlier, you were going to ask me something," he reminded her.

A light blush colored Maka's cheeks. "It was nothing. Just forget about it."

"Are you sure?" Kid frowned. It had seemed important to her when she was asking.

"Yeah. I'll see you later."

Maka left and Kid was left feeling a burning curiosity about what Maka had been about to ask him. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and turned back to the front desk. He got his special visitor pass and waited for Nurse Thalia to escort him to the basement.

Asura was always the same. He always stared out not seeing his surrounding but seeing something that was only in his head. Rarely, he would make a sound like a whimper or something that sound like the first half of a word.

Kid sat in the chair beside his brother's bed. Sometimes he would try talking to him but mostly he would read out of a book. He opened the book he had left there and found where he left off.

Sometimes Kid wondered what that would be like being trapped inside his head unable to see the world around him. He figured the closest he could get was when he stuck in one of his loops. Continuously trying to check everything and make it perfect; losing track of time; trapped in only that existence. He felt sorry for Asura.

When Kid finished his visit he walked outside and watched the fountain as he waited for his car. It felt like it had been a million years since his stay at the hospital. The shock of finding out about his brother had faded and become just another fact of his life. Having friends had become less of an oddity for him although every once in while he still couldn't believe it.

Kid breathed in the cooling air as evening started to set in. He thought about throwing a party for his friends once Liz and Crona were out. Blackstar would be able to attend because of his new "field trip" privileges. It was perfect.

He waited to see if he would feel the usual anxiety he felt about people coming over. In the past he would be worried that visitors would ruin the ordered perfection he had created in his home. But, no, he didn't feel it. All he felt was excitement about how in a month's time they would all be together in a place that wasn't a mental hospital.

The familiar black car pulled up and Mickey came around to open his door for him. Kid slid into the backseat and moments later they were pulling away from the hospital. Things were not perfect, he thought as the building quickly slid out of view. Things never would be, he had recently learned that and sometimes still had to relearn it, but nothing had to be perfect because he had everything he needed to cope with that fact. He had his friends and he had his dad. As long as he had them Kid felt confident that he could face anything.

THE END


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